Overview

"The popular view of architecture focuses on individual creative geniuses, those who have designed the most ""significant"" works. According to Garry Stevens, however, successful architects owe their success not so much to genius as to social background and a host of other factors that have very little to do with native talent. To concentrate only on the ""profession"" of architecture is to ignore the much larger ""field"" of architecture, exposing many myths and debunking a number of heroes in the process. Using the conceptual apparatus of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, Stevens describes the field of architecture on two levels. First, he provides a detailed account of the field as it is at any given point time, describing the different components and their relationships. Second, he analyzes the dynamics of the field through time, from the Renaissance to the present. He discusses the system of architectural education as well as everyday aspects such as the competition for reputation. He concludes that throughout history, the most eminent architects have been connected to each other by master-pupil and collegiate relations. These networks, which still exist, provide a mechanism for architectural influence that runs parallel to that to that of the university based schools."

Full Product Details

Author:   Garry Stevens
Publisher:   MIT Press Ltd
Imprint:   MIT Press
Edition:   New edition
Dimensions:   Width: 16.50cm , Height: 1.90cm , Length: 22.20cm
Weight:   0.463kg
ISBN:  

9780262692786

ISBN 10:   0262692783
Pages:   262
Publication Date:   22 February 2002
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General/trade ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.

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Garry Stevens is the founder of the Key Centre for Architectural Sociology.

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