word
Habitus
HAB-ih-tus
/ˈhæbɪtəs/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
habitus
Dictionary meaning
Pierre Bourdieu's concept of the durable dispositions, tastes, and ways of perceiving the world that individuals acquire through socialisation and experience in a particular social field
History and origin
Latin habitus (state, condition); developed theoretically by Pierre Bourdieu in the 1970s
Examples
- A working-class habitus may include dispositions toward practical skills over abstract academic knowledge.
- Habitus operates largely below conscious awareness, shaping how we instinctively respond to social situations.
Common mispronunciations
Confusing habitus with 'habit'; habitus is a system of dispositions, not individual behaviours
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