Introduction to Bourdieu: Habitus

In this introduction to Pierre Bourdieu, I look at a number of his key concepts: Habitus, Field & Cultural Capital, while focusing primarily on habitus. First I contextualize Bourdieu's sociology in the debates between structuralism, existentialism, and postmodernism. I look at how Bourdieu can help us understand emotions, class and children's health inequalities.

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Sources:

Ed by. Michael Grenfell, Pierre Bourdieu: Key Concepts

Richard Jenkins, Pierre Bourdieu

Pierre Bourdieu, Outline of a Theory of Practice

Gareth Wiltshire, Jessica Lee & Oli Williams (2019) Understanding the reproduction of health inequalities: physical activity, social class and Bourdieu’s habitus, Sport, Education and Society, 24:3,
226-240, DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2017.1367657

Credits:

[yikesaghost]

Watching this instead of doing my readings because I procrastinated too long. Awesome video, thank you!

[plancton]

An aspect of habitus that is not develloped there and that differences it from habit is that habitus is the internalization of social structures: We unconsciously internalize the social disparities and inequalities in the social world in a way that depends mostly of our social class. This leads to forgetting that inequalities are a product of history but are rather seen as something evident, natural (particularily in the USA): "He got good grades or a good social position because he's smart, talented, hard-worker, etc..." without interrogating the social conditions that permit to be (and be seen as) smart, hard-worker, etc... It also supposes that we internalized that having a diploma is better that not having one, etc... In that way we accept domination in a certain regard, that's why there is a relative stability of the society and its structures: people that are dominated doesn't revolt all the time against the domination they udergo, particularily economic domination. The salary man accept, without even thinking about it, that he has to obey to the owner: but this relation of obedience isn't "natural", it's the product of a social history. That's what Bourdieu calls "symbolic violence".

I'm always amazed to see how americans political discourses almost completely ignore the question of social classes by focusing on the merits or wrongdoings of the individual (the myth of the self-made man is really so fucking present in mentalities, particularily in the right but also in the left). Like the problem with the poor is that he didn't work well enough, or the problem is a bunch of crazy billionnaires that controls everything, or they're billionaire cause they have talent so it's ok, etc... Or, on an other hand, the problem with racism or sexism is only a question of individual bias : like discrimination is only in the head of the dominant that uses it to oppress. Domination is primarily structural, and not only inter-subjective. The left in campuses tend to forget that, focusing on individual behaviours and discourses (hello online shaming) rather than thinking about socio-economic disparities and ask for structural changes like free education, health-care, higher salariesandbasicquality of life (they also do, don't get me wrong).

This society is so fucking violent, like anybody can become anything if he wants to, work hard, have a vision and pursue their dream, but forget in the same movement that the objective chances of atteigning a prestigious social status are so unequal: the individual only have himself to blame for his failures (hello depression, exponentially growing since the decomposition of welfare state and neoliberal policies). This got me depressed, seeing people fucking arguing between Trump and Joe Biden, like it's something that is going to change anything for people...

[Eliajayoub]

Thanks for this! The quote at 7:34 is actually by Durkheim. Bourdieu quotes it in Outline of a Theory of Practice.

[mr.chuckles]

You deserve much more then 22k subscribers.

[onkarvigy]

I came across, what I think, is the best definition of the habitus :
– embodied history, internalized as a second nature and so forgotten as history – is the active presence of the whole past of which it is the product.
This gets to the heart of the excessive egotistical claims of the existentialists as well as the enormous guilt it produces in people that fail to recognise the role of the “invisible hand” played by the habitus!!!

[brianmontalvo]

You're videos have helped me revisit a lot of my college classes. I studied Bourdieu as a freshman and in many ways it led to me majoring in sociology. Thank you for all you're hard work. Looking forward to becoming a patron asap.

[Amish_Trivedi]

Working on my diss, which is heavily Bourdieu influenced. This is really nicely done.

[nicholasb]

One of the most useful explanations of Bourdieu I’ve seen.

[saloniaurora]

I absolutely love your videos. I see an overlap between his and Foucaults ideas in some respect. The philosophical ideas you're sharing of world class original thinkers sets u apart from other YT channels. These ideas are truly revolutionary if one seriously sits down and contemplates. Felix Revisson might be another philosophee u might want to cover. He talks about habit too but in nature. Thanks once again for such an enlightening video 🙏

[valeriya]

This is an extremely cool and understandable explanation of the meaning of habitus, thank you!!!

[willgregor]

Anyone interested in the section on children and their class Habitus effect on socioeconomic outcomes, I recommend a wonderful ethnography by Paul Willis called Learning to Labor. Fascinating.

[Rosiewithfootprints]

By far the best introductory discussion of his work that I've come across! You really manage to highlight the most important stuff, well done.

[nathanielross]

I invented the phrase and concept of “Habitus Possession”, last night, and today I found out that Boudieux had done it first.

P.S Carl Jung’s concept of “spirit of the age” is synonymous to the concept of Habitus possession. I recommend reading up on that.


Also, read Rape of The Mind by Joost Meerlo.

[tiely]

Thanks for your video! I might use Bourdieu for my thesis about habermas because of it (not a lot). One tip: a longer pause at the end of the video would give a better ring to your last words and leaves more room to think. I now am scared away immediallty because Im still pondering what you said.

[byarichand]

Great Video! Succintly and eloquently articulated the essence of his work.

[badcarlos]

Great channel, it's about time sociology got some love on YouTube

[nikosspyris]

So to my understanding, it can be simplified as the internalisation, understanding and subconscious adherence to social norms and patterns

[alorikkoln]

That dancer in the background 10:30 was shuffeling it like a rave dancer. Now I know where the rave dancers got their movements from.

[brianconnor]

Good video. As a language nerd I have to point out that the plural of “habitus” is “habitus”

[mgw]

Thanks for this, I love the way you string images together! Helps me process somehow. My favorite part was the pondering question mark boy.