Reflexive Action as an Object of Sociological Inquiry: Bourdieu and Beyond

• In Event: 3268 - Trespassing /Poaching /Raiding /Transcending, Session II: Culture, Action, Practice, and Occasion

Abstract

Emphasis on the pre-reflexive elements of habitus has created a structural lacuna around pre-reflexive action’s complement, reflexive action. This gap and the analytical importance of reflexive action is evident in both the recent work of both cognitive sociology as well as Bourdieu’s body of work when read holistically to include both his earliest and latest writings. This paper articulates the emerging convergence on reflexive action as an object of sociological inquiry and discusses the analytical, methodological, and critical implications of identifying reflexive action as a key problematic in sociological research. Weber’s rationalization argument will be discussed as evidence that the distinction between reflexive and pre-reflexive action has long been a key, underlying duality in sociological thought. Exploring the distinction between pre-reflexive and reflexive action represents a promising starting point from which to synthesize disparate research traditions both past and present. Three potential research themes will be discussed in particular: specifying the role of reflexivity in action, understanding the historicity of subjectivity, and exploring the gap between representation and reality.

Author

• Mary Shi, University of California-Berkeley