Sociologie

According to Pierre Bourdieu, habitus is an important foundation for behaviour and, because of its formation within a specific social milieu, it underlies substantial differences between social groups. However, Bourdieu hardly explains how a habitus is acquired. Based on Bernsteins’ elaboration of the context in which the acquisition of group-specific practices and principles takes place, this article explains how young children in different socio-economic groups obtain a habitus related to sport. It is concluded that differences in behaviour arise largely out of differences regarding the impact of socialising agents. Within the high socio-economic status group, the nuclear family has an explicit and regulating impact on exercise behaviour and the moral qualification of sports. In the lower status group the habitus is influenced by the extended family, the school and peers, resulting in a less strict order and a broader range of adaptable sports activities.

Non-western ethnic minorities are more often unemployed and less frequently have permanent contracts than comparable native Dutch. Research suggests that discrimination may be involved. However, these studies most often use methods that can only infer discrimination instead of actually measuring it. This study applies situation testing to measure discrimination directly: two fictitious job candidates – equal in all respects but their ethnic backgrounds – apply to the same job vacancy. We measured whether employers make a difference between these candidates. We find that discrimination continues to be a problem in the Dutch labour market. Due to the large number of tests (n=1342) we were able to analyse more fine-grained distinctions. Discrimination appears to play a larger role for migrant men than for migrant women; more highly educated migrants suffer less from discrimination than those at the lower segments of the labour market; and discrimination occurs more in jobs that involve customer contact.

In Dutch socio-political and lay debates, ‘class’ is rarely explicitly mentioned and the generally accepted view is that class is no longer relevant in Dutch society. This article challenges this position, drawing on a cultural class analysis as developed in Anglo-Saxon sociology. On the basis of 27 in-depth interviews, the author shows how class differences and class hierarchies are actually experienced by respondents. However, ideals of individualisation and democratisation have made it taboo to talk about class and make moral evaluations. This results in denial, defensiveness and apologies. Respondents hesitate to equate socioeconomic status with moral worth and thus try to dissociate the two. Considering the importance of consumption, identity, self-reliance and active citizenship, as well as their connection to economic and cultural capital, the article calls for a cultural and relational analysis of class in Dutch society.