„Nie wyszłabym za jakiegoś malarza ściennego, prawda?” Klasowe mechanizmy wyboru małżonka w polskiej klasie wyższej
“I Wouldn’t Marry Some Wall Painter, Would I?” Class Mechanisms of Spouse Selection in the Polish Upper Class

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to analyze the generative principles affecting the choice of a spouse in the Polish upper class, using Pierre Bourdieu’s interpretation categories. Marriage is understood as a social institution contributing to the reproduction of class inequalities, and marriage homogamy seems to confirm this thesis. The text discusses marital strategies as well as the principles of valuation and attractiveness patterns in the Polish upper class. The study was conducted using a qualitative method, namely individual interviews with biographical elements. The upper class chooses their future spouse on the basis of peculiar preferences which consist of cultural capital defined as higher education, taste, manners, and economic capital, otherwise possessed financial resources. On the other hand, the embodied habitus, that is the body, determines the initial acceptance or rejection of a partner.

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