Concept Of Habitus Research Articles

Coastal communities and educational inequalities: investigating the barriers to accessing university among young people on the North Yorkshire coast

ABSTRACT This article examines the under-representation of young people from the North Yorkshire Coast in higher education (HE). The study explores how entrenched socio-economic conditions shape aspirations and educational pathways through semi-structured interviews with students, teachers, and policymakers. Using Bourdieu's concept of habitus, we highlight the influence of ingrained dispositions, limited capital, and temporal experiences on HE access. The research critiques neoliberal notions of aspirational citizenship, which neglect structural challenges faced by coastal communities. Thereby underscoring the need for policy reforms that address students’ unique socio-cultural and economic realities in deindustrialised coastal areas to foster equitable educational opportunities.

UMA ANÁLISE DO CURRÍCULO UNIVERSITÁRIO: EXPERIÊNCIAS CURRICULARES E PROCESSOS FORMATIVOS NO CURSO DE LETRAS CLÁSSICAS E PORTUGUÊS NA FFCL/USP, 1934-1950

This article analyzes how the disciplinary field of the Classical Letters and Portuguese course at the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of the University of São Paulo (FFCL/USP) began to be constituted in the period from 1934 to 1950, and the possibilities of research from this analytical perspective. It will also be observed which courses were part of the Letters section and which curricular changes went through in the 1930s and 1950s. For this, we used the FFCL/USP yearbooks that were produced between 1934 and 1950, and to support our analysis, Pierre Bourdieu was used as the main author, who contributed to this study with his concepts of field, habitus, goods and capital. The reading and study of the yearbooks allows us to contemplate how and what changes occurred in the formative process of the Classical Letters and Portuguese course from its institutionalization until the 1950s.

Missing women: Using a Bourdieusian approach to explore the lack of female representation in the technology industry

Gender issues persist in the computing industry, with women representing only just over 20 percent of the workforce, despite numerous initiatives to encourage their wider participation. This paper explores gender inequalities within the computing industry by adapting the sociological lens of Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, habitus and field to understand why inequalities arise and persist in the computing industry. Using interviews with both men and women in the computing industry, the research explores the gender perceptions and systemic experiences from both perspectives. The findings indicate that while inequalities persist, women can and do demonstrate agency in creating their own social support networks to assist in negotiating the male dominated workplace. Promisingly, there is also an increasing awareness among men in the industry regarding the importance of inclusivity, coupled with the positive impact of such developments for them personally.

National Figurations under Hysteresis in Norbert Elias and Pierre Bourdieu. From Plural to Cleft National Habitus

The paper proposes to expand the Eliasian concept of national habitus through the Bourdieusian studies of social habitus. It will be argued that the dynamic relationship between the national habitus and the state norms is always characterized by certain hysteresis, the difference across specific national contexts being its range: from small-scale, almost imperceptible forms, to radical, traumatic disjunctures. Inherently plural character of national habitus postulated in this article does not presuppose that plural dispositions are incorporated in the we-image of the nationals. On the contrary, the case of inner normative antagonism in national dispositions will be exemplified by cleft national habitus—modeled on cleft habitus described by Bourdieu in a class context, where a quest toward purification of plural habitus becomes ideologically crucial in national identity-building. The latter occurs in response to strong hysteresis in national figuration and is reproduced through Don Quixote effect dislocating the national experience of social time. Further contextualization of quixotic strategies will be made through the reading of two complementary works exploring the drag effects of habitus in community building and restructuring: The Bachelors’ Ball. The Crisis of Peasant Society in Béarn by Bourdieu and The Established and the Outsiders by Elias and Scotson.

Desistance habitus: Strategically Using experience in practice

This article introduces the forward-thinking concept of desistance habitus. The analysis and approach are situated within an auto-ethnographical embodied insider experience of navigating both persistent criminality and the revolving door of incarceration through to the transition into employment within statutory youth justice services. The auto-ethnographic analysis is posited within Bourdieu's conceptual frameworks of habitus, capital, field, and doxa to analyse the relational dynamic that underpins the axiomatic understanding of many peer mentors when they work with mentees in the criminal justice system. It is argued through lived experience that these constructs provide an innovative approach to explore how legitimacy is obtained through the strategic use of habitus within the relational dynamic between those involved in the criminal justice system – persistent offenders – and criminal justice professionals who have been exposed to similar lived experiences of persistent crime and punishment. This method of analysis is lacking within the limited criminological investigation that has taken place on peer mentors in criminal justice practice. The data suggests that both street and carceral experiences can engender legitimacy and credibility which generates the ability to promote desistance pathways as a strategic tool within criminal justice practice.

비정년트랙 전임교원의 경계인으로서 삶에 대한 자문화기술지

Objectives This study attempted to see how the social structure affects an individual’s life, that is, the career of researchers who shape, teach, and study, through autoethnogrphy on the life of non-tenure track full-time professor as a marginal man. Methods To this end, this study conducted a autoethnography that can view and interpret the researcher’s experience within a socio-cultural context using the researhcer’s diary, KakaoTalk conversation, recall data, and literature data, and attempted to analyze socio-cultural interactions through the concept of habitus and symbolic boundaries. Results Through my experience as a professor in charge of projects, I came to recognize the identity of a professor in university society, and after becoming a full-time non-tenure track professor, I had time to embody my habihus as a professor in a disconnected room(cocoon). The strategy of distinguishing between various unequal systems and policies in society and universities was giving legitimacy to the boundary by changing the symbolic boundary of the non-tenure track into a social boundary. Theses boundaries had the effect of excluding researchers and themselves, thereby affecting their sense of belonging and other choices. Conclusions Unequal systems and polices affect the perception, identity, and lives of professors, which also affects the original purpose of university education. In order for university innovation to be successful, the participation and effort of all members, not just dedicated personnel, is required.

Farmer Household Livelihood Strategy Around Karst Area in Tuban, East Java

Karst plays an important role in ecology. However, currently, karst areas in Indonesia are experiencing vulnerability. This study aims to examine the livelihood strategies of households around the karst area. The research was conducted in Leran Wetan Village, Palang District, Tuban Regency. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. This research seeks to complement the Sustainable Lifelihood Framework by using the concept of habitus presented by Bourdieu. The main livelihood strategy of the community remains linked to the agricultural sector, especially as farmers or farm laborers, although agricultural mechanization and traditional institutional changes have occurred. Ecological vulnerabilities, such as flooding, trigger changes in livelihood strategies, including working in other sectors. Although there are limestone mines as a new source of livelihood, they are only enjoyed by a small part of the community. The livelihood strategy taken is influenced by the social construction of actors in interpreting karst areas. These findings further confirm that livelihood strategy is a social practice.

Community Tolerance, Habitus, and Early Childhood Education in Schools: A Phenomenological Approach

Purpose – This study examines how the tolerant culture of the Senggarang community, rooted in its traditions and values, influences religious tolerance education in early primary education in Tanjungpinang City, Indonesia, by utilizing Bourdieu’s theory of habitus and cultural capital to clarify the impact of cultural practices in multicultural communities on early childhood education oriented towards tolerance. Design/methods/approach – This study employs a qualitative phenomenological approach, utilizing direct observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis to explore the influence of cultural practices on tolerance education. Field research engaged diverse informants from Senggarang, including elementary school teachers from early elementary education, local community members, and officials familiar with the area's historical and social dynamics, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the community's tolerance-related practices. Findings – The findings reveal that the tolerant cultural practices in Senggarang, deeply rooted in historical and social contexts, significantly influence tolerance education among students. Children aged 6–7 years in early primary education adopt tolerance as part of the behaviors they learn through communal activities such as interfaith holiday celebrations and support for religious events. Cultural values that promote interfaith respect, evident in traditional interactions and mutual cooperation (gotong royong), are internalized by children through family and community engagement. These practices align with Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and cultural capital, demonstrating how inherited cultural norms and daily practices shape children's dispositions toward tolerance. Educators and the school environment further reinforce these practices by embedding tolerance education through routines and collaborative activities among diverse students. Research implications/limitations – This study provides valuable insights into how community culture influences school-based tolerance education. However, its findings may be less applicable to areas with different social and historical contexts. Future research could further examine the role of cultural capital and habitus in multicultural education contexts across various regions in Indonesia. Practical implications – The study highlights the importance of incorporating local cultural values into education to foster early tolerance, offering a model for using cultural practices as teaching tools in diverse communities. Originality/value – This study highlights how community culture and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and cultural capital enrich our understanding of tolerance education in first-grade primary school students (ages 6–7), encouraging further exploration of local cultural values to shape inclusive educational practices in multicultural societies. Paper type Research paper

Food and the Habitus: Imaginary Homeland in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies

This study explores the role of food as a cultural borderland in Jhumpa Lahiri’ s Interpreter of Maladies. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, it analyzes how food functions beyond mere sustenance to reflect the complex identities of Indian immigrants navigating between tradition and assimilation. Food serves as a semiotic tool, revealing cultural nostalgia and the "struggle of memory against forgetting," as Salman Rushdie describes. Through characters like Mrs. Sen, food is shown to embody class distinctions and national identity while highlighting ambivalent feelings toward cultural adaptation. The preparation and sharing of food emerge as powerful expressions of belonging, yet simultaneously underscore the alienation experienced in a foreign land. This project suggests that foodways in Lahiri’s stories not only mark ethnic and social identities but also act as a poignant symbol of immigrants' fragmented sense of home, underscoring both collective memories and personal struggles within their adopted communities. By situating food as a central theme, the study reveals its significance in shaping social interactions and sustaining an imagined homeland, bridging past and present, familiar and unfamiliar, within the immigrant experience.

Syrian Immigrants in the Malta Bazaar of Istanbul: Changing Rules of the Trade Game and Negotiation between the Capitals

ABSTRACT This article examines the socio-spatial transformations of the Malta Bazaar in Istanbul and the new Syrian shopkeepers as potential game changers. We argue that the transformation of the bazaar cannot be seen solely as a commercial venture, but can also be read as a dynamic playground of understanding and tolerance, as well as emerging social, cultural and economic contrasts and tensions. To test these arguments, we designed a field study with an ethnographic approach. The central theme of our research is to read the role of Syrians in the social reproduction of space through potential changes in the rules of the game in a micro-space. We adopted Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of field and habitus to relate the micro-level experiences of actors in space to broader macro contexts. As a result, we concluded that the change in the rules of the game should be defined as a process of mutual uneasiness. What happens in the field at this stage is an attempt to fit into a single space where negotiation rather than cooperation is more prominent and mutual compromises are inevitably made.

Becoming impactful: Humanities doctoral researchers navigating a lively zone of entanglement

This article explores societal impact of humanities doctoral research. Through an empirical inquiry based in Denmark, we analyse how current doctoral researchers conceptualize societal impact and how they articulate potential contributions to society. For theoretical framing, we employ a double-winged perspective combining concepts from the work of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard with others from French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, namely concepts of subjective thinking, necessity-freedom; and the concepts of field, capital and habitus. Such a combination allows taking into consideration both the structural, social factors and the individual and subjective elements shaping doctoral researchers’ perspectives. Our findings offer both shared concerns and anxieties across several humanities doctoral contexts in Denmark with regards to the impact agenda and the more subjective aspirations of researchers for producing impactful research, as articulated in idiosyncratic ways. We offer the term of ‘zone of entanglement’ to describe the landscape of humanities doctoral researchers navigate.

How do medical students deal with the topic of racism? A qualitative analysis of group discussions in Germany.

Anti-racism is part of the medical professional ethos. Nevertheless, racism pervades medicine on individual, institutional, and structural levels. The concept of habitus helps to understand deficiencies in enacting anti-racism in practice. We use a habitus-based framework to analyse how medical students in Germany deal with the topic of racism. The research questions are: What are medical students' understandings of racism? How do they deal with the topic in discussions? What difficulties do they face in such discussions? In a qualitative-explorative research design, we conducted six online group discussions with 32 medical students from medical schools all over Germany. Data analysis combined qualitative methods from thematic qualitative content analysis and the documentary method. We identified five typical ways of dealing with the topic of racism in discussions. The first one ('scientistic') orientates action towards the idea of medicine as an objective science, justifies the use of racial categories as scientific, and defines racism based on intention. The second ('pragmatic') orientates action towards tacit rules of clinical practice, justifies the use of racialised categories as practical and defines racism as an interpersonal problem. The third ('subjectivist') lacks a clear orientation of action for dealing with the topic of racism and instead displays uncertainty and subjectivism in understanding racialised categorisations as well as racism. The fourth ('interculturalist') orientates action towards an ideal of intercultural exchange, understands racialised categorisations as representing cultural differences and interprets racism as prejudice against cultures. The fifth ('critical') orientates action towards sociological scholarship, understands racialised categorisations as social constructs and views racism as a structural problem. The results presented help to understand preconditions of enacting anti-racism in medicine and point to difficulties and learning needs. The heterogenous ways of dealing with the topic require a differentiated approach in medical education.

Retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the medical labour markets of the Nordic countries: a scoping review.

In Nordic countries, the influx of immigrant doctors and nurses has been increasing since 2005, however retention remains a challenge. The aims of this scoping review were to examine the facilitators and barriers to the retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the Nordic countries in order to inform future studies and interventions. A scoping review of peer-reviewed studies focusing on the retention of immigrant doctors and nurses in the Nordic countries was conducted using the framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley. In total, 37 studies were included. The analysis entailed both a numerical analysis to provide a descriptive view of frequencies and a thematic analysis utilising Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of field, capital, habitus and doxa. Facilitators for retaining immigrant doctors and nurses encompassed a sense of belonging, support from management and peers, collegiality, acknowledgement of diverse cultural competencies and the establishment of relevant professional networks. Barriers included unfamiliarity with local healthcare systems, discrimination, inadequate support in entry-level positions, poor psychosocial work environments, and limited professional networks. Few studies focused on the facilitators for retaining immigrant doctors or nurses, few examined the social and economic costs of immigration, and hardly any addressed the processes related to licencing, authorisation and accreditation. The majority of the included studies framed immigrant doctors and nurses as challenges to management or the medical labour market. The findings indicated a need for a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to health workforce management across the Nordic countries to accommodate the increasingly diverse workforce in terms of international migratory backgrounds.

Social reproduction and contestation of racialized Roma exclusion: The role of civil society organizations in the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT Anti-Roma racism remains a persistent concern in numerous European countries. Despite sustained efforts by both the European Union and national governments over the past two decades to promote Roma inclusion, the effectiveness of these integration policies has largely been perceived as inadequate. This has been evident in the widespread exclusion experienced by Roma communities. Focusing on the Czech Republic, this article moves from examining state policies to the actions of civil society. In this context, the article explores the role played by Czech civil society organizations (CSOs) in both challenging and perpetuating racialized Roma exclusion. Building on Bourdieu’s concept of social habitus, this article expands it to a racialized social habitus framework. Through online interviews with CSOs and ethnographic fieldwork in four Czech cities, it explores the complex interplay between integration policies, civil society, and the racialized exclusion of the Czech Roma. The article illuminates how these organizations simultaneously contest and reinforce racialized perceptions of the Roma, thereby enriching scholarly dialogue on the complex dynamics of race and racism within civil society.

The Art of Navigating a White Upper-Class Gaze: Exploring Visible Minorities’ Negotiations of Belonging in the Norwegian Cultural Field

In this article, I explore how 32 Norwegian artists who are visible minorities perceive interacting with gatekeepers in the cultural field of production. Using Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and field, along with Ahmed’s phenomenological approach to whiteness, I empirically demonstrate the prevalence of institutional whiteness within the field. I argue that gatekeepers’ classed and racialized subjectivities, expressed through their white cultural upper-class gaze, are perceived as creating institutional barriers for visible minorities. This shapes artists’ opportunities and challenges their sense of belonging to the field. To maintain a sense of belonging, they utilize their double consciousness, engaging in an ambiguous process of contesting the gaze while adhering to institutional norms. These findings provide valuable insight into an under-researched interaction between whiteness and the cultural upper class, revealing institutional barriers that may promote homogeneity in western cultural fields.

Professional Male Soccer Players' Perspectives of the Nutrition Culture Within an English Premier League Football Club: A Qualitative Exploration Using Bourdieu's Concepts of Habitus, Capital and Field.

Professional soccer players' self-reported dietary intakes often do not meet recommended sport nutrition guidelines. Although behaviour change models have previously explored barriers and enablers to nutritional adherence, the cultural factors influencing players' nutritional habits also warrant investigation. Accordingly, we aimed to explore players' perceptions of the nutrition culture within the professional soccer environment. An interpretivist paradigm, which emphasises that reality is subjectively and socially constructed, underpins this study. Qualitative, face-to-face semi-structured interviews (comprising open-ended questions) were conducted with purposively sampled male soccer players from the English Premier League (EPL) (five British, five migrant; mean age: 26 ± 6years; mean EPL appearances: 106 ± 129). Data were abductively analysed using thematic analysis according to Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, capital, field and doxa practices. This study revealed five key themes: (1) players' habitus, as shaped by familial, ethnic and religious backgrounds, influences their dietary habits; (2) social capital, via managers (head coaches), teammates and online influences, impact players' dietary practices; (3) the increase in both soccer clubs' and players' economic capitals has advanced nutrition provision; (4) an unequal distribution of economic capitals has led to hierarchical practice in the performance nutrition field with personalised nutrition being somewhat enacted at the higher levels; and (5) body composition measurement is a 'doxic' practice in professional soccer that warrants challenge. Soccer players' habitual nutritional practices are influenced by personal upbringing and the club context, including economic resources and social capital from managers. The performance nutrition field within professional soccer is also shaped by stakeholders' doxic beliefs surrounding the perceived optimal body composition of players, with managers exerting social capital.

How social class shapes breast cancer risk perspectives and prevention practices of Australian midlife women: a qualitative study using the concept of ‘breast cancer candidacy’

BackgroundThe increasing incidence of breast cancer and disease burden is a significant public health concern. While 30% of breast cancers could be prevented through addressing modifiable risk factors, misconceptions among women about breast cancer risks hamper primary prevention. In the absence of primary prevention, secondary prevention such as mammography increases the early detection of breast cancer and improves health outcomes. However, current population-level screening rates indicate secondary prevention is suboptimal. More effective public health efforts to improve breast cancer prevention are required. Given breast cancer is socially patterned, this work explores how social class impacts women’s breast cancer prevention practices. This study uses the concepts of lay epidemiology and candidacy as a mechanism to understand women’s breast cancer risk perspectives. It engages Bourdieu’s relational social class theory to unpack how women’s social, cultural, and structured life contexts shape these perspectives and their considerations regarding primary and secondary prevention.MethodsIn this qualitative study 43 Australian midlife women (aged 45–64 years), were interviewed to explore their understandings of breast cancer risks, how they perceived their own risk, and how this shaped their prevention behaviours. A theory-informed thematic analysis applying Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital, and fields to understand how women’s social class positions shapes risk perspectives and prevention practices was conducted.ResultsThis social class analysis showed differences in how women engage in breast cancer discourse, consider risks, and participate in breast cancer prevention. Middle-class women prioritise health promoting practices and were more likely than working-class and affluent women to attend mammography screening. Working-class women experience structural factors, like low income, stress and difficult life circumstances, which hamper primary prevention practices and for some screening is not considered or prioritised, and their decisions not to screen are less active. Affluent women often do not consider themselves at-risk due to their healthier ‘lifestyles. ’They suggest that this, and their knowledge of screening benefits and harms allows them to make informed decisions not to screen.ConclusionsWomen interpret and understand breast cancer risks differently and enact prevention practices within the parameters afforded by their social class positions. These findings are useful to inform improved public health approaches regarding both modifiable breast cancer risks and increasing mammography screening. To improve equity in breast cancer prevention efforts, such approaches must respond to limitations based on social class and address structural factors that impact prevention practices.

A progressive habitus versus teacher authority in Herndon’s The Way it Spozed To Be

I first overview the literature on progressive education and locate Herndon within this tradition. I suggest that Herndon’s progressive methods are undermined by his refusal to perform the role of teacher in accordance with expectations. I apply Bourdieu’s concept of habitus operationally to use data from Herndon’s memoir to construct a description of the habitus of actors in the narrative. I conduct a thematic analysis which indicates that Herndon’s difficulties may not simply be a problem with progressivism per se, but rather a problem of the clash of expectations which arises when progressive praxis occurs within a more traditional culture. Butler’s concepts of performativity and parody are used to suggest that the habitus clash arising from progressive praxis in a traditional context can potentially be addressed by making explicit the constructed nature of classroom identities.

Through Immigrant Lens: A Reflection on Pierre Boudier’s Concept of Habitus Clivé through Photography

This article explores the creative practice of immigrant photography, specifically examining the artistic work of immigrants who have chosen Australia as their place of settlement. Analysing their photographic works, the article reflects on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus clivé, which develops the notion of a fractured or divided self. This division arises when individuals confront conflicting social contexts, resulting in internal tension or dissonance within their sense of identity. In the context of migration, habitus clivé can manifest in various ways, such as tensions or conflicts between cultural traditions and new cultural contexts. Furthermore, migration can involve adaptation and adjustment in which individuals may selectively incorporate elements of the new culture into their existing habitus while maintaining aspects of cultural identity associated withtheir country of origin. These processes of negotiation and hybridisation can further contribute to the development of habitus clivé. For Bourdieu, these internal contradictions within one’s social identity are not static but evolve through ongoing social interactions. By closely examining immigrant photographers, the article highlights the visual narratives that emerge, illustrating how photography can transcend physical boundaries, creating an intermediary space between dislocation and settlement. This space becomes a potent mechanism for fostering a sense of belonging that extends beyond geographic boundaries. Interestingly, this sense is not secured to a specific geographic location but, rather, encompasses broader, internalised, notion of place. These changes align with the concept of habitus clivé as individuals navigate the complexities of migration and settlement. As a medium, photography enables individuals to inhabit this interim space of familiarity, enabling embodiment and facilitating connection with a sense of place that transcends traditional notions of belonging. The article discusses how photography can empower immigrant narratives, supporting a sense of belonging while capturing the diverse experiences of individuals navigating the challenges of immigration and settlement.

Using habitus and ethnic identity theory to investigate the decision-making of Canadian Modern Orthodox young people

ABSTRACT Students’ access to higher education is significantly shaped by the cultural and social capital they hold and aspire to gain. This study examines Canadian Modern Orthodox high school graduates pursuing higher education, exploring the factors that influence their choices. By framing Canadian Modern Orthodox Judaism as an ethnic minority identity, the research reveals how this identity shapes the decision-making process of young adults. The study integrates Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and Phinney’s theory of ethnic identity to understand how students in a close-knit community plan their futures, balancing considerations of reputation, marriage, and career. Based on eight years of teaching at a Modern Orthodox high school in Southern Ontario, the study uses institutional ethnography to identify two key pathways: Pathway 1 involves students taking a gap year in Israel, postponing their minority status on North American campuses, while Pathway 2 sees students entering directly into secular universities, where they become ethnic minorities for the first time. The paper also explores how students manage their post-secondary experiences and the impact on their cultural and social capital. Those who choose a gap year in Israel often accumulate greater cultural and social capital within their community compared to those who enter university directly.