Habitus Hermeneutics

The chapter introduces a qualitative and reconstructive method for analyzing the habitus. Following Bourdieu’s theory of habitus and field, this method aims at uncovering social structures of domination and social inequalities. It is linked to the concept of the “social milieus” (Vester), which can be situated within the tradition of a “praxeological class analysis” (Marx, Weber, Thompson, Williams, Bourdieu). According to this, the habitus cannot be discerned from the social position, the capital configuration or from classes of social statistics, but has to be reconstructed from social practice. As organising principle (“modus operandi”), the habitus leaves behind a specific signature in the practices, which is encrypted and has to be decrypted by interpretation work. The term “habitus hermeneutics” expresses this specific process of interpretation. By tying back habitus traits to social principles of division, habitus hermeneutics aims to explain and understand under which conditions these traits were formed. Firstly, the chapter presents the methodological foundations of habitus hermeneutics. Secondly, two empirical case studies from inequality-related educational research illustrate how the method can be applied to a broad spectrum of empirical material. One case involves an interview with a single teacher, analysed on the basis of transcript excerpts. The other case represents a collage that has been created by four teachers within a focus group and that is being interpreted as an image. This is, finally, followed by situating habitus hermeneutics within the discourse of reconstructive-hermeneutic research approaches.