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Sociology vocabulary · Theories and Thinkers

Habitus

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/ˈhæbɪtəs/nounAdvanced term

In sociology, habitus means: In Bourdieu's theory, the deeply rooted habits, tastes, dispositions and ways of seeing the world that people acquire from their social background and usually take for granted.

In Turkish: habitus

How it is used

Used with field and capital as part of Bourdieu's theory of practice. Habitus helps explain why people from the same class often make similar choices about food, music, education and careers without consciously planning them.

Example sentences

  1. Students whose habitus matches the university culture often feel at home there from the first day.

  2. Bourdieu used the idea of habitus to bridge the gap between structure and agency.

Common collocations

  • class habitus
  • habitus and field
  • embodied habitus
  • cultural capitalNon-financial resources such as knowledge, tastes, ways of speaking and educational qualifications that give people an advantage in society, especially at school.
  • agencyThe capacity of individuals to act independently, make their own choices and change their circumstances, despite the limits set by social structure.
  • social structureThe relatively stable pattern of social relationships, institutions and positions in a society, which shapes and limits what individuals can do.
  • social classA large group of people who share a similar economic position, such as income, wealth, occupation and education, and often similar life chances.

More terms: Theories and Thinkers

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