Habitus, Definition, Meaning: Sociology YouTube Lecture Handouts

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Definition

“A structuring structure, which organizes practices and the perception of practices.” - Bourdieu

Meaning

  • Cognitive system of structures
  • Ways of thinking, acting and feeling
  • Internal representations of external structures
  • Thoughts, tastes, beliefs, interests
  • Understanding of the world around us
  • Internalization through Primary socialization - family, culture, education.
  • Internalising structures + … = Habitus
  • Durable and transposable - transferrable
  • Eg. Migration
  • Hysteresis – inappropriate habitus
  • Habitus influences our actions
  • Social world influenced by the external world
  • Every individual has different habitus depending on one՚s position
  • Unequal imposition
  • Relation between social and mental structure

Concept

  • “Habitus constrains but does not determine thought and action”
  • Suggests what to think and choose to do
  • Habitus is reflected in decisions
  • Logic of practice
  • Awareness of habitus
  • Objectivity required
  • Produces social world
  • Produced by social world

MCQs

Q.1.

Assertion: Habitus is not an unchanging fixed structure rather is adapted by individuals who are constantly changing according to situations.

Reason: we are not conscious of habitus but it manifests in most of our daily practices.

Options

1) A is false and R is true

2) A is true and R is false

3) A is true but R is not the correct answer for A

4) None of these

Answer: 3

Q.2.

Statement 1: People display and transmit a distinctive ‘habitus’ that is learned social habits, perceptions and dispositions.

Statement 2: “People are not fools.” They act in a reasonable manner. There is logic of practice in what people do.

Options

a) Statement 1 is true

b) Statement 1 is false

c) Both are true

d) Both are false

Answer: c

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Manishika