Wednesday, February 8, 2012

On Activist Cultural Identity

The role of aesthetic and cultural tastes in class distinctions is equal if not greater than that of economic factors, as Bourdieu had argued in his book "Distinctions".  This creates an almost impossible situation for many radical activists - they claim to fight for the interests of the subordinate classes, yet the subordinate classes reject them as "upper class brats" based on their cultural appearances.  But if they give up their activist culture to gain acceptance, they basically sell out their souls to the devil of the mainstream society.  Damned if you do, damned if you don't.