Return to Reflexivity

This slim volume contains four little-known texts by Pierre Bourdieu on the question of reflexivity, which was a key theme in his work.

For Bourdieu, reflexivity was not an exercise in introspection but rather a way of applying the tools of sociology to itself. The aim is to make explicit and control the effects of the presuppositions, standpoints and dispositions that the researcher brings to the conduct of social science research. Bourdieu advocates an attitude of epistemological vigilance that helps to uncover the invisible effects of the social determinants that weigh on the researcher, effects that are difficult to perceive by the mere desire to be lucid. Questioning the social position and presuppositions of the researcher at every opportunity loosens the hold of scholastic and other biases on the outcome of research.

By clarifying and illustrating the principles of reflexivity, the four texts in this volume lay the groundwork for the kind of reflexive social science that Bourdieu practised and advocated throughout his career.

Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) was one of the most influential sociologists and anthropologists of the late twentieth century. He was Professor of Sociology at the Collège de France and Director of Studies at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales. His many works include Outline of a Theory of Practice, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, The Rules of Art, The Logic of Practice and Pascalian Meditations.