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Cultural reproduction, a concept first developed by French sociologist and cultural theorist Pierre Bourdieu,[1][2] is the mechanisms by which existing cultural forms, values, practices, and shared understandings (i.e., norms) are transmitted from generation to generation, thereby sustaining the continuity of cultural experience across time.[3][4] In other words, reproduction, as it is applied to culture, is the process by which aspects of culture are passed on from person to person or from society to society.[5]
Cultural reproduction often results in social reproduction, or the process of transferring aspects of society (such as class) intergenerationally.[5] There are various ways in which such reproduction can take place. Often, groups of people, notably social classes, may act to reproduce the existing social structure so as to preserve their advantage.[5] Likewise, processes of schooling in modern societies are among the main mechanisms of cultural reproduction, and do not operate solely through what is taught in courses of formal instruction.[6] Historically, people have moved from different regions, taking with them certain cultural norms and traditions. Cultures transmit aspects of behaviour that individuals learn in an informal way while they are out of the home. This interaction between individuals, which results in the transfer of accepted cultural norms, values, and information, is accomplished through a process known as socialisation.
- ^ Jenks, Christopher. 1993. "Cultural Reproduction." New York: Routledge. p. 2.
- ^ Bourdieu, Pierre, and Jean-Claude Passeron. 1990. Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture. SAGE Publications. ISBN 0-8039-8320-4.
- ^ Chandler, Daniel, and Rod Munday. 2011. "cultural production." In A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford University Press, as adapted in "cultural production." Oxford Reference.
- ^ Glossary of Sociological Terms. New Zealand: University of Canterbury, School of Sociology and Anthropology. 1997.
- ^ a b c Bilton, Tony. 1996. Introductory Sociology (3rd ed.). London: Macmillan.
- ^ Giddens, Anthony. 1997. "Pierre Bourdieu." Polity Press, Vol. 581.