Abstract
In this paper we address Pierre Bourdieu's theory of education, conceived in his later works as an educational field theory. We analyze the relationship between school strategies -under certain family strategies of social reproduction- and the process of "selecting the elect" conducted by the school. We review some criticisms and discussions related to this conceptual framework, considering the issue of theory importation in Latin America; the presence of functionalist explanations and the heuristic limits of some key concepts, such as field and habitus. We also consider some central aspects of the concept of peripheral fields. Finally, we estimate the possibilities offered by this theoretical arsenal to contribute to the necessary democratization of school processes and settings.
Keywords:
Sociology of Education; Pierre Bourdieu; Social Inequality; School System