Kabylia: the problematic genesis of the concept of habitus

Abstract

In books such as Le sens pratique, Pierre Bourdieu uses examples from a region in Algeria, Kabylia, to support his habitus theory. Kabylia is depicted as a traditional society, although in previous texts Bourdieu had presented it as the most modern region of Algeria. This article analyzes this discrepancy and the conditions that create it. Indeed, Bourdieu need-ed to portray Kabylia as a traditional society tosupport his habitus theory. This is the basis for reflection on the coherence of this element and the importance of primary socialization to explain action and the normality of adjusting a habitus to a situation.