Magne Flemmen

Bio: Magne Flemmen is an academic researcher from University of Oslo. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social class & Cultural capital. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 28 publications receiving 509 citations. Previous affiliations of Magne Flemmen include University of Bergen.

The Decline and Persistence of the Old Boy: Private Schools and Elite Recruitment 1897 to 2016:

Abstract: We draw on 120 years of biographical data (N = 120,764) contained within Who’s Who—a unique catalogue of the British elite—to explore the changing relationship between elite schools and elite recru...

Social space and cultural class divisions: the forms of capital and contemporary lifestyle differentiation.

Abstract: In this article, we address whether and how contemporary social classes are marked by distinct lifestyles. We assess the model of the social space, a novel approach to class analysis pioneered by Bourdieu's Distinction. Although pivotal in Bourdieu's work, this model is too often overlooked in later research, making its contemporary relevance difficult to assess. We redress this by using the social space as a framework through which to study the cultural manifestation of class divisions in lifestyle differences in contemporary Norwegian society. Through a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) of unusually rich survey data, we reveal a structure strikingly similar to the model in Distinction, with a primary dimension of the volume of capital, and a secondary dimension of the composition of capital. While avoiding the substantialist fallacy of predefined notions of 'highbrow' and 'lowbrow' tastes, we explore how 168 lifestyle items map onto this social space. This reveals distinct classed lifestyles according to both dimensions of the social space. The lifestyles of the upper classes are distinctly demanding in terms of resources. Among those rich in economic capital, this manifests itself in a lifestyle which involves a quest for excitement, and which is bodily oriented and expensive. For their counterparts rich in cultural capital, a more ascetic and intellectually oriented lifestyle manifests itself, demanding of resources in the sense of requiring symbolic mastery, combining a taste for canonized, legitimate culture with more cosmopolitan and 'popular' items. In contrast to many studies' descriptions of the lower classes as 'disengaged' and 'inactive', we find evidence of distinct tastes on their part. Our analysis thus affirms the validity of Bourdieu's model of social class and the contention that classes tend to take the form of status groups. We challenge dominant positions in cultural stratification research, while questioning the aptness of the metaphor of the 'omnivore', as well as recent analyses of 'emerging cultural capital'.

Putting Bourdieu to work for class analysis: reflections on some recent contributions.

Abstract: Recent developments in class analysis, particularly associated with so-called 'cultural class analysis'; have seen the works of Pierre Bourdieu take centre stage. Apart from the general influence of 'habitus' and 'cultural capital', some scholars have tried to reconstruct class analysis with concepts drawn from Bourdieu. This involves a theoretical reorientation, away from the conventional concerns of class analysis with property and market relations, towards an emphasis on the multiple forms of capital. Despite the significant potential of these developments, such a reorientation dismisses or neglects the relations of power and domination founded in the economic institutions of capitalism as a crucial element of what class is. Through a critique of some recent attempts by British authors to develop a 'Bourdieusian' class theory, the paper reasserts the centrality of the relations of power and domination that used to be the domain of class analysis. The paper suggests some elements central to a reworked class analysis that benefits from the power of Bourdieu's ideas while retaining a perspective on the fundamentals of class relations in capitalism.

Forms of Capital and Modes of Closure in Upper Class Reproduction

Abstract: We investigate the recruitment into the upper class, analysing the impact of different forms of capital and modes of closure. Unlike many Bourdieu-influenced approaches to class, we systematically investigate divisions by composition of capital: the relative weight of economic to cultural capital. We find capital-specific barriers to mobility: access to the upper class fractions is not only differentiated by one’s parents’ volume of capital or the general class hierarchy, but also by the relative weight of cultural to economic capital. Drawing on theories of social closure, we further investigate the role of two distinct modes of closure – credentialism and private property. The degree of closure differs significantly between subfractions of the upper class, based on the degree to which they refer to positions involving specific credential requirements. Our findings underline the importance of capital composition, but also that closure operates by neither credentials nor property alone.

The Structure of the Upper Class: A Social Space Approach

Abstract: This article seeks to identify the internal divisions within the ‘upper class’ of Norway, defined as comprising different types of property owners, top executives and business managers. Bourdieu’s ...

Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste

Abstract: By Pierre Bourdieu (London: Routledge, 2010), xxx + 607 pp. £15.99 paper. A combination of social theory, statistical data, illustrations, and interviews, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judg...

The Dignity of Working Men: Morality and the Boundaries of Race, Class, and Immigration.

Abstract: The Dignity of Working Men: Morality and the Boundaries of Race, Class, and Immigration. Michele Lamont New York: Russell Sage Foundation and Harvard University Press, 2000. 391 pp.

Campanha de prevenção do câncer bucal em Araraquara: uma iniciativa de extensão consolidada em 11 anos de experiência

Abstract: The authors present the Annual Oral Cancer Campaign of Araraquara promoted by the Oral Medicine Service of the Araraquara Dental School – UNESP. This campaign is an extension activity which, since its beginning, in 1993, has been expanding.The campaign provides background for teaching and research as well as benefits to the regional community. In 1999 this activity was conducted, for the first time, in a public fair visited daily for thousands people. This opportunity, which started in 1999, promoted the expansion of benefits and contributed to legitimate the campaign as an authentic extramural extension activity.

Eating Out: Social Differentiation, Consumption and Pleasure

Abstract: Acknowledgements List of figures List of tables List of boxes 1. The study and its rationale Part I. Modes of Provision: 2. The development of the habit of eating out in the UK 3. The meanings of eating out Part II. Access: 4. Patterns of eating out 5. Domestic organisation, family meals and eating out Part III. Delivery: 6. Personal service in public and private places 7. Last suppers Part IV. Enjoyment: The Attractions of Eating Out: 8. Eating out and its gratifications 9. The enjoyment of meal events Part V. Conclusion: 10. Eating out and the theories of consumption Methodological appendix: data collection and analysis References.