An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology Pierre Bourdieu and Loic Wacquant

In Part I, Loic Wacquant provides a clear and systematic account of the main themes of Bourdieu’s work, outlining his conception of knowledge, his theory of practice and his distinctive methods of analysis. Part II takes the form of an extended dialogue in which Bourdieu and Wacquant discuss the key concepts of Bourdieu’s work, confront some criticisms and objections, and develop Bourdieu’s views on the relations between sociology, philosophy, history and politics.

In Part III Bourdieu displays his sociological approach in practice: beginning with the practical demands of research, he moves, step by step, to a formulation of the principles of sociological reason.

Supplemented by an extensive and up-to-date bibliography, this book will be essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand Bourdieu’s unique and outstanding contribution to contemporary social thought.

"This book originates in my encounter with a group of doctoral students in sociology, anthropology, and political science at the University of Chicago who had organized, under the guidance of Loic Wacquant, a semester-long seminar on my work. When I came to Chicago in the Spring of 1988,1 was given in advance a long list of questions, observations, and objections at once meticulous, precise, and well grounded, and we discussed "toe-to-toe," in an atmosphere of great kindness, what are in my eyes the most fundamental issues of my research. The game of question and answer then continued and expanded in the form of interviews and dialogues held, over several months, in Chicago and Paris, with an always equally demanding and penetrating Loic Wacquant."

Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002) was a French sociologist and anthropologist, renowned for his work on power, culture, and social inequality. Born in Denguin, France, Bourdieu studied philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure before focusing on sociology. His most influential concepts include habitus, which refers to ingrained social dispositions, capital, encompassing various forms of social, cultural, and economic resources, and field, a metaphor for social spaces where power dynamics unfold. Bourdieu’s seminal work, Distinction (1979), analyzed cultural tastes as markers of class, revealing how social stratification is perpetuated through culture and education. His empirical studies, including research in Algeria, emphasized the importance of ethnography in understanding social structures. Bourdieu’s theories, which combined Marxist and structuralist approaches, continue to shape contemporary sociology, particularly in fields like education, cultural studies, and social inequality. His legacy remains profound, with his ideas still central to debates on social justice and the reproduction of power in society.

Loïc Wacquant (b. 1960) is a French-American sociologist known for his influential work on urban sociology, poverty, and the intersection of race, class, and social policy. He is best recognized for his studies on the urban underclass, particularly in relation to the U.S. prison system and its role in perpetuating social inequality. Wacquant’s work builds on the theories of Pierre Bourdieu, with whom he collaborated extensively, particularly in developing the concept of habitus and the relationship between social structures and individual practices. His most notable works include Body & Soul: Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer (2004), which explores the relationship between social marginality and embodied practices, and Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity (2009), where he examines the penal system's role in managing poverty. Wacquant’s interdisciplinary approach to sociology continues to shape contemporary debates on social exclusion, race, and the welfare state.