Trauma as Cultural Capital
A Critical Feminist Theory of Trauma Discourse
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12147883 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lucy Britt (0000-0002-9792-2153, Bates College, corresponding author), Wilson H Hammett (0000-0002-3904-8269, University of California, Los Angeles) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 916-933 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Hypatia (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0887-5367 • E-ISSN: 1527-2001 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/hyp.2024.22 |
| OpenAlex | W4393948051 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 44 |
This essay theorizes a problem for feminism posed by a particular form of trauma discourse. Feminists have played an important role in developing cultural and clinical conceptions of trauma, but one result of the destigmatization of trauma has been that trauma discourse is sometimes used as a form of cultural capital to reinforce existing hierarchies. In a novel application of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of distinction, we show how, when instrumentalized as cultural capital, trauma discourse can be used to reinforce patriarchy and other systems of oppression. We trace a critical feminist history of the struggle to understand and treat trauma. Using examples from contemporary US popular culture, we illustrate the appropriation of trauma discourse to entrench existing structures of gender, class, and racial oppression. First, the misuse of trauma discourse as cultural capital can encourage the instrumental use of trauma claims for cultural power, ultimately reinforcing patriarchy. Second, it might erode the legitimacy of trauma, a conceptual tool pioneered by feminists and still essential to their political claims. This discussion has important implications for not only mental health practitioners and trauma survivors but also feminist theorists, trauma studies scholars, and those interested in deconstructing structural injustice and relations of inequality
Capital (architecture · Critical theory · Political science · Sociology · Gender Studies · History · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Migration, Health and Trauma · Torture, Ethics, and Law
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The Creeping Concept of Trauma
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Appropriating Bourdieu
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Medicalization and Social Control
Does genderfit? Bourdieu, feminism, and conceptions of social order
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| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |