Independence and Autonomy
Claims of independence have been on the increase in spaces of symbolic production and in the publishing industry in particular. Many publishing houses and bookshops describe themselves as “independent” in a context in which economic rationalism is seen as a threat to their autonomy, as defined by th...
محفوظ في:
| الحاوية / القاعدة: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/bssg, |
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| المؤلف الرئيسي: | |
| التنسيق: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| اللغة: | Anglais |
| منشور في: |
Biens Symboliques / Symbolic Goods
2021
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| الوصول للمادة أونلاين: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| الملخص: | Claims of independence have been on the increase in spaces of symbolic production and in the publishing industry in particular. Many publishing houses and bookshops describe themselves as “independent” in a context in which economic rationalism is seen as a threat to their autonomy, as defined by the sociology of culture. This article aims to confront these two similar notions, one of which is used by actors themselves (independence) and the other in more scholarly spheres (autonomy). In so doing, we hope to shed light on what is at stake in the rhetorical usages and mobilizations of the theme of independence by two actors central to the book trade: publishers and booksellers. Our hypothesis is that the fact that actors of various size and importance all emphasize independence reflects a loss of autonomy in the sociological sense of the word, while constituting an effective weapon with which to defend their vulnerable positions. When economic constraints and competition between actors become more pressing, independence becomes a key symbolic resource at stake in the struggle for recognition, both internal and external. |
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