Cleft Habitus: A Love Story

• In Event: 1546 - Theory in Conversation

Abstract

Dispositions are at the heart of Bourdieu’s theory of practice. Individuals’ actions or practices are a result of their dispositions (habitus), resources (capital), and position within a space of struggle (field). Bourdieu popularized the term habitus and helped bring a dispositional theory of action back to the forefront of sociological research. Individuals internalize social structures, which forges a generative formula for action allowing for creativity, innovation, and the ability to adapt to new circumstances. This generative formula is the core of the habitus, which operates below the level of consciousness. Two individuals with similar social backgrounds and trajectories will develop a similar primary habitus and if triggered by the same field position will lead to similar actions. Although the habitus is robust, a split may develop over time leading to what Bourdieu called a “cleft habitus,” which produces contradictions and tensions in this set of dispositions. The cleft habitus is characterized by internal conflict and often leads to misfiring and incoherence in practice. The possessor of a cleft habitus often feels tormented by division and torn between two groups. In this paper, we provide the first systematic treatment of cleft habitus, which is a concept that Bourdieu only briefly introduced at the end of his career. We offer a relational account of cleft habitus that combines Bourdieu’s theory of practice with Butler’s performative theory of gender and the undoing of the self. Cleft habitus is the result of a deviant social trajectory that strains or possibly severs connections to others. The process of forming a primary habitus is a story of the bonds of family love formed during childhood. The emergence of a cleft habitus is a reversal of this process. It is a story of heartbreak and loss of community. We conclude with a discussion of the possibility of reconstruction for the cleft habitus and the role of reflexivity.

Authors

• Andrew S. Fullerton, Oklahoma State University

• Jonathan Scott Coley, Oklahoma State University

• Dakota Kane Tangent Raynes, Oklahoma State University

• Adam M. Straub, Oklahoma State University