Bourdieu's forms of capital and the stratification of later life

This paper outlines the case for applying Bourdieu's writing on ‘forms of capital’ to the explication of the social divisions of later life. Much of the writing about class in later life pivots on the distinction between working and non-working life. Broadening the focus towards a more Bourdieusian conceptualisation of forms of capital offers a greater potential to delineate and account for social stratification in later life than that accorded by either treating older retired people as a more or less homogenously marginal class or by applying class analyses to later life based on the relations of capital and labour. The paper begins with an outline of Bourdieu's account of the three main forms of capital and their symbolic representation. This is followed by consideration of the various critiques that have been made of Bourdieu's formulation of his capitals alongside various elaborations and re-formulations. Finally various potential avenues are explored to illustrate how forms of capital may be realised in later life and the role they may play in determining its social stratification. Examples range from the financial capital represented by home ownership to the investment in embodied cultural capital made by the various technologies of the self that characterise third age cultures. •Outlines Bourdieu's forms of capital•Distinguishes between objective and symbolic forms of capital•Delineates the strengths and weaknesses of the model.•Considers its relevance in understanding the social divisions of later life.•Identifies areas and issues where future research in the sociology of ageing might usefully apply the model.