Ways of thinking....Ways of doing: Reading Bourdieu for Social Work

This proposed submission aims to shed light upon the applicability of Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual tools within the social work discipline, both at the practice and research level(s). French theorist Pierre Bourdieu is well... [ view full abstract ]

This proposed submission aims to shed light upon the applicability of Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual tools within the social work discipline, both at the practice and research level(s). French theorist Pierre Bourdieu is well thought-out to as a key thinker within the sociology field. However, despite the similar perspectives shared by both of the disciplines discussed, Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical work has not been yet thoroughly applied in social work. It is within such context that this paper is taking shape, to discuss and bring forward Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual tools as a way of exploring the multifaceted relationship between sociology and social work.

Bourdieu’s interest in differentiation and classification processes, conceptually fits like a glove with social work's attention to existent hierarchies of power, in terms of mapping out systemic privileges, advantages or disadvantages. More so, his idea of epistemic reflexivity goes well beyond the sine qua non notion of individual reflexivity, and extends to take in social positioning, congruent with social work's person in the environment theoretical approach.

The paper grounds Pierre Bourdieu's way of relational thinking as it accompanies the reader in striding by the conceptual trio of the field, capital and habitus, his core intertwined notions. These will not be presented singularly, but rather as depending on and determining one another. Circularity and not causality, is what Bourdieu advocated for. A non-causal circularity of how the habitus, conditioned by social and cultural capital distribution, plays within the field, and how the field shapes the habitus in return.