Impressions and affective practice: bringing unity to Bourdieu’s habitus

Ivana, G.-I. (2020) Impressions and affective practice: bringing unity to Bourdieu’s habitus. Emotions and Society, 2(2), pp. 121-137. (doi: 10.1332/263169020X15994723622263)

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Abstract

Despite the key commonalities between the affective and the practical turns, affect is still an underexplored aspect in practice theory. Proposing an analytical distinction between the sociological and the ontological levels of analysis, this article looks into schemes of appraisal as they appear in Bourdieusian practice theory, and highlights how beneath the unity of social conditioning, habitus creates fragmentation between embodied and cognitive meaning. Additionally, it provides a limited and often foggy account of emotions and affectivity. To overcome these challenges, it is argued that practice theory needs to rely on a conceptualisation of subjectivity, which allows for a more holistic and affective meaning making. Doing so draws on Wetherell’s affective practice and Ahmed’s Hume-inspired concept of impression, but also on a variant of practice which works with empirical rather than epistemic individuals. A theory of practice infused with affect overcomes not only the mind-body dualism, but also contributes to reducing the tension between structural and agentic poles.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Ivana, Dr Greti-Iulia
Authors: Ivana, G.-I.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
Journal Name:Emotions and Society
Publisher:Bristol University Press
ISSN:2631-6897
ISSN (Online):2631-6900
Published Online:05 October 2020
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2020 Bristol University Press
First Published:First published in Emotions and Society 2(2):121-137
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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