File spoon-archives/bourdieu.archive/bourdieu_2000/bourdieu.0008, message 17


Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 21:59:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: George Free <gfree-AT-linux.ca>
Subject: Re: Habitus


>>>>> "jambro" == jambro  <jambro-AT-superonline.com> writes:

    jambro> Are you ... (our theory) suggesting that PB's idea of
    jambro> "habitus" is purely structural, and thus implies all of
    jambro> our "reality" is socially constructed?  

Basically, yes.

    Of course agency
    jambro> and structure are foundational discourses within a
    jambro> framework that has evolved in both philosophy and les
    jambro> sciences humaine (social science + humanities). Generally
    jambro> most social theoreticians have moved towards some
    jambro> synthesis, like A. Giddens theory of "structuration" as
    jambro> Marx himself suggested in his critiques of both Freurbach
    jambro> and Hegel. Ergo, my reading of habitus is more that the
    jambro> "rules" are dynamic and constantly evolving within the
    jambro> play of everyday life whereby we have to constantly
    jambro> improvise to successfully transit situations that vary
    jambro> from rule-bound behavioural calls & responses.

To the extent that any individual can improvise, the ability to
improvise is socially conditioned. In other words, we are raised in a
certain way, and this way in which we are raised endows us with the
ability to respond in certain ways and not others.

I think Marx said that mankind makes history, but only under certain
conditions, which are not of our own choosing...

Everyone wants to deny social determinism, it seems, in order to assert
the rights of, the "agency" of, the individual. What they ignore is that
true "agency", and freedom, stems only from insight into the
conditions that determine who we are. If we don't understand the
conditions that limit (and empower) us, we won't be able to act in a
way that goes beyond our present conditioning...

Cheers!
George

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