Outline of a Theory of Practice (Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology)
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ISBN-10: 0-521-29164-X
ISBN-13: 9780521291644
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Country:
Year: June 30, 1977
Size: 14.73 x 22.35 x 0.76cm
Number of pages: 224
Weight: 386gr
Binding: Paperback
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Prof. Pierre Bourdieu, Richard Nice (translator)
Cambridge University Press; 1977
Hardcover
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A translation of the study in which Bourdieu develops the theory for his empirical work, based on fieldwork in Kabylia, Algeria.
Outline of a theory of practice is recognized as a major theoretical text on the foundations of anthropology and sociology. Pierre Bourdieu, a distinguished French anthropologist, develops a theory of practice which is simultaneously a critique of the methods and postures of social science and a general account of how human action should be understood. With his central concept of the habitus, the principle which negotiates between objective structures and practices, Bourdieu is able to transcend the dichotomies which have shaped theoretical thinking about the social world. The author draws on his fieldwork in Kabylia (Algeria) to illustrate his theoretical propositions. With detailed study of matrimonial strategies and the role of rite and myth, he analyses the dialectical process of the 'incorporation of structures' and the objectification of habitus, whereby social formations tend to reproduce themselves. A rigorous consistent materialist approach lays the foundations for a theory of symbolic capital and, through analysis of the different modes of domination, a theory of symbolic power.
reviews
How could anyone put Foucault above Bourdieu? Bourdieu has a rigorous sociology behind his work & provides a real theoretical groundwork to reconcile materialist, interpretive/symbolic and interactionist perspectives. Foucault on the other hand has led anthropologists down a slippery slope of prevarication, vagueness, grandstanding and an obsession with a hollow & impoverished idea of what constitutes a »critical« stance.
For anyone interested in cultural studies or in ethnology/ anthropology/ sociology, _Outline_ is a must read.
Bourdieu, a teacher of Foucault, has been rated France's 2nd most influential scholar (after Foucault) and for good reason. In _Outline_, Bourdieu provides a well-grounded introduction to his main concepts and gives a great deal of supporting detail to support his interpretations.
At times, his descriptions of the Kabyle culture seem to be far too long for persons who are reading him as a general social theorist. If you do not have a deep-rooted love of sociology or other culturally-immersive social sciences, you might prefer his _Logic of Practice_, which has less ethnology in it, or _Practical Reason_, which has nearly none.
If you are a student of culture, however, you will find these extended examples to be excellent background material and useful illustrations of Bourdieu's concepts.
In terms of writing style, Bourdieu is uneconomical, but the payoff is worth slogging through his difficult prose.
keywords
- Anthropology
- Anthropology – General
- Ethnology
- Kabyles
- Kabyles – Addresses, essays, lectures
- Social Science
- Social Science – Anthropology – Cultural
- SOCIAL SCIENCE – Anthropology – General
- Social Science – Sociology – General
- Social theory
- Sociology
- Sociology & Anthropology – Professional
- Sociology, Social Studies
- Sociology – Social Theory
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