What does rock have to do with Bourdieu?

Contributions about the application of the field theory to Portuguese alternative rock (1980-2010)

Abstract

The main goal of this article is to analyse the social representations of alternative rock in Portugal from 1980 to 2010. This is part of broader research into the 30 years of modernization of the country (from the post-revolutionary period initiated in 1974), in which alternative rock is regarded as a significant social practice within the scope of the social, artistic and musical structuring of the country itself. We consider that alternative rock is a subject that is illuminated by Bourdieu’s theory of fields, and we use it to explore the complexity of the relationships that substantiate the underlying structures (of bands, musicians, agents, venues, record labels and promoters) of Portuguese alternative rock. The data we used is the result of a long-term research project carried out between 2005 and 2010, in which in-depth interviews were conducted with more than 200 participants involved in the production and publication spheres of the Portuguese alternative rock segment.