Habitus and Communication Theory

Abstract

There is a long tradition of explication and explanation among social scientists between theoria and praxis. For most communication scholars tradition began with Karl Marx (1971) and was revised by Althuser (1977). Habermas (1981, 1983), and Fiske (1987, 1989) and challenged by Baudrillard (1975, 1983). (Stevenson, 2002), this Recently, these concepts have been revised once more by Pierre Bourdieu (1963, 1977, 1979 and Bourdieu and Wacquant, 1992). The purpose of this essay is to introduce the concepts of Habitus and field and to draw attention to its implications for communication theory. This journey begins with Plato (Cornford, 1937, 1957) and his concept of the eternal world of ideal forms. It continues with the Aristotelian concept of the four causes that was embraced by Hegel and revised by Marx. This investigation ends with the writings of Pierre Bourdieu and his concept of social hegemony as evidenced in the Field and his concept of the embodiment of experience as social Habitus as the foundations for social thought.