Queen’s Hosts British Academy Lecture on The Great Gatsby and the Problem of Social Capital
Queen’s recently hosted the British Academy lecture ‘"It's not what you know, it's who you know": The Problem of Social Capital’.
The guest speaker was John Guillory, Emeritus Professor of English, from New York University.
The lecture addressed a problem in Pierre Bourdieu's conception of the three forms of capital: “material, cultural, and social”, specifically his limited discussion of social capital compared to cultural capital.
Professor Guillory applied Bourdieu’s theory to an analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925), establishing the relation between cultural capital and social capital as two forms of "knowing". In the novel, this relation correlates Jay Gatsby's desire for social capital which he uses to pursue Daisy Buchanan, as part of Fitzgerald's bid for the text’s canonical status as a "great" American novel.
The lecture was part of The British Academy’s lecture programme series which aims to showcase the very best scholarship in the humanities and social sciences.
The event was chaired by Professor Philip McGowan from the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen’s. He commented: ‘It’s been a signal honour to host Professor Guillory here at Queen’s for this British Academy lecture, particularly in this the centennial year of the publication of The Great Gatsby. John’s work on cultural capital has been a touchstone for scholars and students for over thirty years, so to have him here today, at Queen’s, discussing this remarkable novel so engagingly, it has been both a thrill and an education.”
Professor Guillory commented: "In this lecture, I reflected on some unresolved problems in the theory of cultural capital upon which I worked earlier in my career. On this occasion I’ve taken the opportunity of the 100th year anniversary the publication of Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby' to comment on the two senses of “great” in the title, a great person and a great work of art."
Hetan Shah, Chief Executive from The British Academy said: “British Academy Lectures showcase the very best UK and international scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, and we are delighted to be continuing our collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast in 2025. Professor Guillory’s lecture comes at a timely moment as this year celebrates the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Great Gatsby. This lecture is just one example of the compelling subjects that feature in this engaging and wide-ranging programme which takes place across the UK.”
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