In “Forms of Capital”, Bourdieu figuratively throws down the gauntlet towards much of our standard economic thinking.  In his discussions, he roundly criticized the idea of homo economicus, or the economic human (preference based, utility maximizing, rational choice, etc.), for presenting an unrealistic view of human behavior.  This may seem to be a minor academic squabble but given the amount of attention standard economic models have received in guiding public and economic policy, Bourdieu is legitimately concerned about the degree to which the adoption of standard economic views serves to obfuscate systems of entrenched social classes.  How compelling do you find this critique, and how important do you believe such academic assumptions are for the "real world"?

Social Psychology (10th Edition)
10th Edition
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Chapter1: Introducing Social Psychology
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In “Forms of Capital”, Bourdieu figuratively throws down the gauntlet towards much of our standard economic thinking.  In his discussions, he roundly criticized the idea of homo economicus, or the economic human (preference based, utility maximizing, rational choice, etc.), for presenting an unrealistic view of human behavior.  This may seem to be a minor academic squabble but given the amount of attention standard economic models have received in guiding public and economic policy, Bourdieu is legitimately concerned about the degree to which the adoption of standard economic views serves to obfuscate systems of entrenched social classes.  How compelling do you find this critique, and how important do you believe such academic assumptions are for the "real world"?

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