Expanding Bourdieusian Concept of Habitus: A Case Study of Ethnographic Work in Estonia

Bourdieusian concepts like field, habitus, and capital provide a conceptual framework for understanding the social world. This article will focus on the concept of habitus and the possibilities of expanding the habitus of a subject. Bourdieu stated that change of habitus is possible if scientific reflexivity and artistic creativity are implemented. The aim of this article is to provide an explanation on a theoretical and methodological level to achieve the expansion of habitus. In order to reach the aim, an analytical distinction of primary and secondary habitus will be presented and an innovative methodological framework will be elaborated. This will be based on the pragmatist ideas of Dewey and the participatory action research methods of Freire. The potential value of this synthesis will be grounded in ethnographic fieldwork with the Russophone minority in Estonia which lasted for more than a year. I will discuss different ethical and methodological complications that emerged.