Understanding Habitus and Socialization

• The concept of habitus was first introduced by Aristotle and Boecio translated it to the concept of hexis.
• Bourdieu defines habitus as the set of generative structures that agents use to perceive and act in the world.
• Habitus is socially structured because it has been formed over the course of history in each agent's social context.
• But at the same time, habitus is structuring because it is the structures that produce thoughts, perceptions and actions in the agent.
• Habitus is learned through practice, which does not happen through conscious awareness.
• The incorporation of habitus, through socialization, involves the unconscious appropriation of practical strategies that agents use to produce appropriate practices in given situations and the interest in participating in diverse social fields (literature, music, politics, etc.).

Test your knowledge of habitus and socialization with this quiz. Explore the concept introduced by Aristotle, translated by Boecio, and defined by Bourdieu as the generative structures that shape agents' perceptions and actions in society.