Why you are the way you are – explained with rice
Habitus, an idea by Pierre Bourdieu
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Summary
“[T]he habitus represents the way group culture and personal history shape the body and the mind. [A]s a result, it shapes the present social actions of an individual.” [1]
Habitus
How do you eat rice? With a fork or maybe even a spoon? But why do you use that utensil?
Now think about other areas of your life. You have certain habits, ways of thinking, and dispositions that affect the way that you act. But where did this come from?
Pierre Bourdieu would say that it comes from the interaction you’ve had with your environment up until now. Through imitation, you’ve been picking up ways to behave as well as expectations of what's possible for you, whether you’ve been aware of it or not. Eventually, these things become deeply internalized in you, creating your dispositions.
So, if you grew up eating rice with a fork, you would think that's the way that it should be. The right way.
Now, imagine you were put in a situation where you had the option to choose between a fork, a spoon, or chopsticks. You would probably still choose a fork because, well, that's the proper way to eat rice, obviously.
What you choose reflects the way that you were brought up. But – and this is the important part – even though your past can influence your actions, it doesn’t determine them. Notice, in this scenario, you still have the power to choose which utensil to use. You’re just likely to choose the fork.
Simply put, your habitus is the way that you perceive the world and respond to it.
These deeply ingrained skills and habits (that influence the way you act) were shaped informally in your childhood. Although you may not have been aware of it at the time, you were imitating the behavior you saw around you, picking up tacit knowledge. As a result, people of a similar background to you can have a habitus that's similar to yours.
But, back to the rice. What about chopsticks? Would this be your go-to option? From your social environment, you have internalized basic life chances – what is possible, impossible, and probable for people like you [2]. In this scenario, if you grew up in a white, middle-class family that might be: spoon (possible), chopsticks (impossible), and fork (probable).
But what if you only had chopsticks to eat with and you had never used chopsticks before? Your habitus would no longer fit your current environment. You would struggle. Fortunately for the hypothetical you, a habitus can adapt. Your habitus can constantly change, reflecting the ongoing back and forth between you and your environment. Eventually, you’d be able to use chopsticks.
As with rice, as in life.
So why is Habitus important again? *scratches head*
Knowing about the concept of habitus allows you to make better decisions. Now that you’re aware that your upbringing affects your actions, you can stop to think:
Although this is what I would usually do, is this what I want to do this time? (Choosing the spoon)
Are there any options available to me that I am not seeing because of my habitus? (Eating rice with your hands)
Recap
Habitus:
Is the way you think and behave in response to the world
Is shaped by your interactions with your environment growing up
Influences your actions but doesn't determine them
Sources:
[1] [2] David L. Swartz. “The Sociology of Habit: The Perspective of Pierre Bourdieu”
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