Description

Winner of the Cheryl Frank Memorial Prize 2024 from the International Association for Critical Realism.
This innovative book argues that establishing an ontological framework makes a substantial difference to Pierre Bourdieu s core concepts of habitus and field. In doing so it addresses the charges of determinism, tautology, and circularity that have long been directed at habitus and field. Teasing out Bourdieu s ontology, the book offers a novel critical realist reading of Bourdieu, arguing that while Bourdieu explored the epistemological basis of his key concepts, he neglects their ontological underpinnings, and that elaborating on this adds a layer of depth and complexity which enriches Bourdieu s project. In addition to articulating the synergies between Roy Bhaskar s critical realism and Bourdieu s oeuvre, this book extends Bourdieu s insights in new and exciting directions by developing an ontologically informed Bourdieusian account of institutions as explored through the lens of institutional racism and by outlining a unique methodological approach to habitus.