Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 20:23:28 +0200
From: Paul Bayer <pbayer-AT-ibm.net>
Subject: Re: Bourdieus concept of habitus


Peter Norberg wrote:
> 
> Where can I read about Bourdieus concept of habitus. If anyone is
> interested in giving a brief review of its meaning, I would be equally happy.
> Peter Norberg


Hi Peter,

I recommend you three works/books of Bourdieu:

1) La distinction. Critique sociale du jugement. 1979
=====================================================(I don't know the english title)

This was an empirical study, made by Bourdieu 20 years ago. Bourdieu 
analyzes styles of life, differences between social groups and classes, 
their strategies of reproduction and social assertion etc. 
   There is a third chapter in which Bourdieu tries to explain his 
concept of habitus as social structure, which is
 - *generated* by social conditions of life (as a whole:
   including history, social conflicts, education ...) 
   and in in the same time is
 - *generating* patterns of social practice and perception which 
   may be classified as certain styles of life.
   
2) RŽeponses. Pour une anthropologie rŽeflexive. 1992
=====================================================Loïc Wacquant, 
An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology, 
Bourdieu & Wacquant, 
University of Chicago Press

The "answers" were given by Bourdieu 1987/88 at Chicago and Paris and
were collected by L.J.D.Waquant. The first part of this book contains 
a chapter three about "Habitus, illusio and rationality" in which B.
defends himself against reproaches of mechanicism and economism.
   B. presents the concept of habitus as possibility to analyze (that
means also: understand, explain) social practices as practices of 
social groups and (at the same time) of subjects. "The habitus is 
a socialized subjectivity." Developping a sociology of this kind it 
could be possible to understand better himself and the society and 
also to intervene -- almost better as actual sociology does.

3) Raisons Pratiques, Sur la thŽeorie de l'action. 1994
======================================================(I don't know the english title)

This Book contains the best explanation of the relations between the
different concepts of Bourdieu, such as social fields, room, habitus,
different types of capital (cultural, symbolic, social ...) etc.
   Reading this book one can notice that Bourdieu now has a more 
precise concept of habitus than 20 years ago, enriched by his studies
of several social fields (burocracy, university, art, literature ...).

I have read these books in this sequence, and I advise this sequence
for those who want study Bourdieu. It should be noticed that Bourdieus 
books are complicated to read, not only because of his language but 
also because his analytical concepts are tightly connected. One
must make an effort to get familiar with his thinking.
   For a first impression of Bourdieu the right book is the second
one (Reponses).

Good luck

Paul Bayer 
Munic, Germany
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