ABSTRACT
While not without his detractors (see, for example, Nash, 1999), Pierre Bourdieu is considered by many to be one of the most eminent sociologists of the late twentieth century (Silva and Warde, 2010: 1). It is not surprising then that his work has been embraced by accounting researchers and used in a variety of ways. Extending a recent review of this use by Malsch, Gendron and Grazzini (2011), this chapter examines how Bourdieu’s ideas and work enhance the critical accounting project. I specifically focus on Bourdieu’s general methodological approach and his ‘scholarship with commitment’, arguing that critical accountants have only just begun to tap into the rich framework that he provides. I also discuss how he positions his academic work relative to his political activism and his need to “intervene in the affairs of the city” (Bourdieu, 2000: 41).
