Connecting sleep, the neurocognitive memory system, and Bourdieu's habitus concept: Is sleep a generative force of the habitus?

Abstract

AbstractBourdieu's habitus theory has been criticized for allegedly being static and deterministic. This is partly due to insufficiently elaborated microstructural aspects of the habitus. Previous works have tried to elaborate the habitus' individual side by drawing on neuropsychological and neuroscientific concepts including the neuropsychological memory system. Despite its relevance for several social processes, sleep has not been considered in this context. The present work investigates the interrelatedness of habitus, sleep, and the memory system with particular focus on the determinism and staticity critique. It shows that the neuropsychological memory system overlaps largely with implicit memory and sleep plays an important role in the formation of habitus‐relevant memory. Moreover, sleep enhances processes such as memory consolidation, reflexivity, associative creativity, and dream‐associated simulation of unknown situations which counter the determinism and staticity critique. The present article argues that habitus, memory, and sleep are closely related and memory and sleep represent operational micro‐structures of the habitus. Moreover, sleep‐related processes represent a generative force that renders the habitus more dynamic. Finally, strengths and weaknesses of the habitus‐memory‐sleep nexus are discussed and further lines of research are outlined.