Bourdieu Dynamics of Fields from a Modified Axelrod Model

Abstract

Pierre Bourdieu discussed how an individual's taste relates o his or her social environment, and how the classification of \emph{distinct} and \emph{vulgar}, among others, arises from at the same time as shapes this taste in his work called \emph{La Distinction}. Robert Axelrod created a computational model with local convergence and global polarization properties to describe the dissemination of culture by simple selective interactions. In this letter, Axelrod model is modified, while holding to the same original principles, to describe Bourdieu theory. This allows to analyze how the dynamics of society's tastes and trends may vary with a simple approach, considering social structures and to understand which social forces are crucial to change dynamics. Despite the relative simplicity, the present approach clarifies symbolic power relations, a relevant issue for understanding power relation both on large as well as on small and localized scale, with impact on activities ranging from daily life matters to business, politics, and research. This model sheds light on social issues, showing that a small amount of conflict within a class plays a central role in the culture dynamics, being the major responsible for continuous changes in distinction paradigms.