Geometric Data Analysis in a Social Science Research Program ...

systematicallyaddressestherelationalaspectsofsocialreality(Bourdieu1966[4]).He morecompletelydevelopedhis\theoryofelds"inthebeginningofthe1970s(Bourdieu 10Asearlyasinthemiddleofthe1960s,Bourdieuformulatedtheconceptof\eld",which Booktitlegoeshere
1971[5]).Aeldisasmalllocusinsidetheglobalsocialspace,whichisdenedbyits degreeofrelativeautonomyfromothereldsandtheglobalsociety,itsstructure,related toaspeciccongurationofagents,anditsdynamics.Agentsinaeld,evenwithout
aboutelds.Biographicaldatawerecollectedinvariousbiographicalsources(directories, globalprocessofsocialdominationbetweenclasses. specicresourcesandbyacorrespondingprocessofdomination,whichisdistinctfromthe anydirectinteraction,areputintoobjectiverelations,denedbythedistributionoftheir
Who'swho,etc.),inacollectiveprocessdirectlyinspiredbygrowingscienticpracticesin socialhistory(\prosopography",comingfromancientandmedievalhistory). Thenoveltyoftheseanalysesrstliesinthetypeofdatawhichwereusedinresearch
helpofMCA.Inthisarticle,theauthorsjustifythecentraluseofMCAasawaytodiscover BourdieuanddeSaint-Martinstudiedapopulationofeconomicelites(n=216)withthe andrevealahiddenrelationalrealitywhichisnotconscious,butnevertheless\morereal" thanthepartialandpracticalperceptionsoftheagent(GDAas\ruptureinstrument"in ThesecondoccurrenceofauseofGDAbyBourdieuisawell{knownarticlewhere
properties(fromdemographiccharacteristicstoeducationaltrajectory)andsomeofthem deningthevariousspeciesofcapitalatstake.Themodalitiesweregroupedintodierent headings(groupsofquestions),withanimportantnumberofmodalitiesreferringtosocial forhishelpinafootnote.Activemodalitieswereselectedfromasetofbiographicaldata, Bachelard'stradition).TheyusetheprogramMULTMfromL.Lebart,whoisthanked
tomorespecicassetsintheeconomiceld(positionsinboards,distinctions,etc.).In particular,wereconsidered:
BottinMondain(adirectoryofsocialelites); Demographicproperties:placeanddateofbirth,numberofchildren,placeofresidence; Educationaltrajectory(i.e.\grandlyceeparisien"); Socialandfamilialorigin:professionofthefather,seniorityinclass,presenceinthe
Professionalcareer:(i.e.\grandcorps"); Specicpositionsintheeld:economicpowerpositions,membershiptocouncils,etc.; Indicatorsofsymboliccapital:ocialdistinctions,decorations,etc.;
ofthesocialstructureoftheeld(Figure1.2p.9).Theinterpretedspace(Figure1.3p.11) nomicelitemembers,helpingthereaderwho\knew"someagentstohaveadirectintuitionThecloudofindividualsintherstprincipalplanewaspublished,withthenamesofeco- Indicatorsofmembershiptomobilizedgroups(likeassociations).
agerscomingfromEcolenationaled'administrationorPolytechnique.ThesecondAxis, againrelatedtotime,opposes\newcomers"and\established".Thisanalysisprovidesa viewofthestructureoftheeldofeconomicelitesasbeingdenedbytherelationtothe \private"positionsandtrajectories,theeldbeingthendominatedbytechnocraticman- istwo-dimensional(athirdaxisisrapidlyevoked).TherstAxisisopposing\public"to
State(bureaucraticcapital)andbyaprocessofdynamiccompetitionbetweenfractions, moreoftentrainedinprivatebusinessschools,orcertainengineerschools.Anexplanatory perspectivewasalsopresentinthisanalysis,whichaimedatunderstandingthespaceof
rstdenedbytheirseniorityintheeld.Thenew\generation"intheeldisforexample