Just finished reading Kevin Geay’s remarkable Enquête sur les bourgeois (~ Investigation of the bourgeois) in which he takes a fresh look at the upper class’ relationship to politics.
It departs from the (in France) well-established finding that the upper class feels highly competent in politics, are more often involved in politics and generally succeeds in reproducing its (political/cultural) outlook.
Geay’s book stands out because he looks at the margins — where the political competence and involvement is not so perfect and the cases where the reproduction of their worldview is not guaranteed.
Even if the upper class is generally more interested and engaged in politics than others, they can also express forms of disinterest and distaste for it — which nevertheless is quite different from the disengagement and abstention of the “popular classes”.
Through this, Geay demonstrates how the most privileged can exhibit forms of laxity, allowing themselves freedom from the civic norms and legitimate political culture they generally follow — in ways that are reminiscent of what @BernardLahire shows with respect to lifestyles.
He also shows that new elite schools cultivate kinds of “cultural openness” that differs from the traditional, catholic and conservative leanings of such schools. In this, it’s reminiscent of @shamuskhan and others, although Geay underlines that “openness” may not be the new norm
of the bourgeois as such, but more characteristic of those whose social trajectories are less secure — which in turn is related to the increased importance of academic performance even in the reproduction of the classical bourgeoisie.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in social class and/or the sociology of elites. Let’s hope an English translation is forthcoming!
Love the cover, although it might be a bit of an overstatement to suggest that the bourgeoisie cannot keep their head above water 
