Verspieltes Kapital? Der gesellschaftliche Rollenwandel des Samuraistandes im Zuge der Meiji-Restauration

Abstract

The change in the social role of the Samurai ranks during the Meiji Restoration

The creation of the nation state and its influence on the respective societies characterized the 19th century – not only in Europe. As a result of the Meiji Restoration, which initiated the formation of modern Japan in the 1860s, feudalism came to an end. By using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of capital and class distinction, the goal of this study is to illuminate and evaluate the social status of the former warrior nobility, the samurai, under these changed circumstances.