What is habitus?
Habitus is a system of ingrained dispositions developed over years in a family and class environment. It shows up in how you talk, eat, dress, and what music or art you like—behaviors that feel natural rather than chosen. Bourdieu called it a "structured structure" that also acts as a "structuring structure," generating new behavior.
How does taste mark class?
In Distinction, Bourdieu argued that the split between "refined" taste (classical music, museums) and "vulgar" taste (pop music, practicality) isn't free choice but reflects differences in cultural capital. Schools then reward upper-class habitus as if it were natural talent, reproducing educational inequality. Habitus, along with economic and social capital, shapes a person's position in each social "field."
FAQ
- Can habitus change?
- It's durable but not fixed; new environments and experiences can gradually reshape it.
- What forms does cultural capital take?
- Embodied (manners, knowledge), objectified (books, art), and institutionalized (degrees, credentials).
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-25
References
- Bourdieu, P. (1979). La Distinction: Critique sociale du jugement. Minuit.
- Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood.