Bourdieu’s political sociology and the politics of European integration

The purpose of this article is to explore what Bourdieu’s political sociology could bring to the study of European integration. I first present, very briefly, some of the traditional approaches in European integration studies. Then I move to my interpretation of Bourdieu’s structural constructivist theory of politics through a discussion of political capital and political field, drawing parallels between these concepts and some of Max Weber’s ideas. In the third part, while discussing the works of some scholars inspired by Bourdieu’s theory, I present some structural constructivist studies of European integration. Structural constructivism provides theoretical tools for a critical analysis of European integration.     

Waiting for Godot? On some of the obstacles for developing counter-forces in higher education

In the name of the imperatives of the knowledge-economy, the European public university has been under attack since the beginning of the 2000s. Everywhere in Europe, budgets have been cut and departments considered as being useless eliminated. Reactions have been weak. How can this be explained? How can one challenge the dominant discourse on higher education? This article explores some of the power dynamics that prevent alternative visions from developing.