ARCHER, Margaret S.
Habitus, reflexividade e realismo - Rio de Janeiro : IESP / UERJ, 2011
Many scholars continue to ascribe a fundamental role to routine action in social theory and defend the continuing relevance of Bourdieus concept of habitus. Meanwhile, the majority recognize the importance of reflexivity. Inthis article, Archer examines three versions of efforts to render these concepts mutually compatible: empirical combination, hybridization, and theoretical and ontological reconciliation. In analytical terms, none of these versions is fully successful. The empirical argument is that the relevance of habitus began to decline in the late 20th century, in light of major structural changes in advanced capitalist democracies. In these circumstances, habitual forms have proven incapable of providing guidelines for peoples lives, thus making reflexivity necessary. The article concludes with the argument that even the reproduction of ones birth history now constitutes a reflexive activity, and that the most favorable mode of its production, which the author refers to as communicative reflexivity, is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
Habitus, reflexividade e realismo - Rio de Janeiro : IESP / UERJ, 2011
Many scholars continue to ascribe a fundamental role to routine action in social theory and defend the continuing relevance of Bourdieus concept of habitus. Meanwhile, the majority recognize the importance of reflexivity. Inthis article, Archer examines three versions of efforts to render these concepts mutually compatible: empirical combination, hybridization, and theoretical and ontological reconciliation. In analytical terms, none of these versions is fully successful. The empirical argument is that the relevance of habitus began to decline in the late 20th century, in light of major structural changes in advanced capitalist democracies. In these circumstances, habitual forms have proven incapable of providing guidelines for peoples lives, thus making reflexivity necessary. The article concludes with the argument that even the reproduction of ones birth history now constitutes a reflexive activity, and that the most favorable mode of its production, which the author refers to as communicative reflexivity, is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.