Reflexivity, identity and recognition in contemporary critical sociology

Abstract

The article highlights the importance of the concept of reflexivity for the development of contemporary critical sociology. Our argument is based on the hypothesis that the ca-tegory of recognition is key for establishing the linkage between the concept of identity and the processes of social transforma-tion. This, in turn, allows for a better understanding of social change. To develop this hypothesis, we first reconstruct part of the French-British debate on the possibilities and limits of Pierre Bourdieu’s critical sociological approach to the problem of reflexivity. Second, we built on Axel Honneth’s criticism of Bourdieu’s approach, and identify the main components of his Theory of Recognition.