Interactions, Juxtapositions, and Tastes: Conceptualizing “Relations” in Relational Sociology

Abstract

The concept of “relations” is fundamental to relational sociology. Definitions vary, however, and there is a division in the literature between two in particular. On one side, in symbolic interactionism, social network analysis (SNA), and figurational sociology, “relations” are conceived as concrete ties between social actors. On the other, in the work of Bourdieu, relations are defined as juxtapositions in a “social space” constituted by the distribution of important social resources (forms of “capital”). My own work has tended to prioritize the former but both are important and reconciling them is a key task for relational sociology.