An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology
1. Edition August 1992
336 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Over the last three decades, Pierre Bourdieu has produced one of
the most imaginative and subtle bodies of social theory and
research of the post war era. Yet, despite the his influence, no
single introduction to his wide-ranging work is available. This
book offers a systematic and accessible overview, providing
interpretative keys to the internal logic of Bourdieu's work by
explicating thematic and methodological principles underlying his
work.
Firstly Loic Wacquant provides a clear and systematic account of
the main themes of Bourdieu's work, outlining his conception of
knowledge, his theory of practice and his distinctive methods of
analysis. In the second part of the book Wacquant collaborates with
Bourdieu to discuss the central concepts of Bourdieu's work,
confront some criticisms and objections, and develop Bourdieu's
views on the relations between sociology, philosophy, history and
politics. Finally Bourdieu displays his sociological approach in
practice: beginning with the practical demands of research, he
moves, step by step, to a formulation of the principles of
sociological reason.
Supplemented by an extensive and up-to-date bibliography, this
book will be essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand
Bourdieu's unique and outstanding contribution to contemporary
social thought.
Part I: Towards a Social Praxeology: The Structure and Logic
of Bourdieu's Sociology.
1. Beyond the Antinomy of Social Physics and Social
Phenomenology.
2. Classification Struggles and the Dialectic of Social and
Mental Structures.
3. Methodological Relationalism.
4. The Fuzzy Logic of Practical Sense.
5. Against Theoreticism and Methodologism: Total Social
Science.
6. Epistemic Reflexivity.
7. Reason, Ethics and Politics.
Part II: The Purpose of Reflexive Sociology (The Chicago
Workshop).
1. Sociology as Socioanalysis.
2. The Unique and the Invariant.
3. The Logic of Fields.
4. Interest, Habitus, Rationality.
5. Language, Gender, and Symbolic Violence.
6. For a Realpolitik of Reason.
7. The Personal is Social.
Part III: The Practice of Reflexive Sociology (The Paris
Workshop).
1. Handing Down a Trade.
2. Thinking Relationally.
3. A Radical Doubt.
4. 'Double Bind' and Conversion.
5. Participant Objectivation.
Appendices.
References and Bibliography.
Name Index.
Subject Index
Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University
'The leading French sociologist of our generation, already well known through his researches and theoretical formulations, he appears here in the first person, in dialogue and in seminar, and in the magnifying glass of Loic Wacquant. One hopes the appeal of this self-presentation does not eclipse Bourdieu's other major works, for An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology promises to be Bourdieu's most widely-read book.'
Randall Collins, University of California, Riverside
"This is essential reading for anyone considering Bourdieuian-based educational research."
Educational Review
Collège de France.
Loïc Wacquant is Professor of Sociology at the
University of California-Berkeley and Researcher at the Centre de
sociologie européenne-Paris.
