Topicality of Reproduction, by Pierre Bourdieu and Jean-Claude Passeron: 50 years of an academic and political legacy

Abstract

This paper discusses the book by Pierre Bourdieu and Jean-Claude Passeron, La Reproduction. Éléments pour une théorie du système d’enseignement, released in 1970 in France. Starting with a location of the work in its origin context and main theoretical premises, subsequently, findings derived from empirical research carried out with articles published in 2020 that referred to this text. Located on the Google Scholar platform, 51 papers were analyzed and treated using the content analysis. Papers demonstrated that even after 50 years from the book publishing, its content is still topical and unavoidable to observe the education system. Concepts and notions of the manuscript were used in various themes and problems related to the Brazilian educational field, such as relationship between school performance and students’ social origin; cultural capital as a heritage stimulated and transmitted by the family, able to generate impact on definition of a successful or unsuccessful school path; the role played by the school on reproduction of symbolic capital; and the fact that pedagogical actions are not neutral, but examples of symbolic violence. The text is concluded indicating that readings of the Bourdieu’s work in Brazil experienced a significant change over the last few years. From the examination of scientific production studied was possible notice out another framework appropriation logic developed by the sociologist, used as theoretical-methodological instrument in multidisciplinary and multi-methodological research.