Pierre Bourdieu: Expanding the scope of nursing research and practice

Abstract

Bourdieu is an important thinker within the sociological tradition and has a philosophically sophisticated approach to theoretical knowledge and research practice. In this paper, we examine the implication of his work for nursing and the health sciences more broadly. We argue that his work is best described as a reflexive realist who provides a space for a nonpositivist approach to knowledge that does not fall into the trap of idealism or relativism. We emphasize that Bourdieu was not an abstract theorist, but only utilized theories to understand and explain the social world in all its empirical complexity. Theory is emphasized over method without denying the importance of method. We then provide a brief overview of some of his key concepts: habitus, field and capital. His work is a scientifically astute practice that has an emancipatory purpose, with particular resonance to the problems of nursing as a social practice. Some have criticized Bourdieu for undermining agency and we briefly address this issue, but argue that his conceptual framework helps us to understand what endures in social practice and why change is often problematic. In short, this paper argues that Bourdieu's work is a fruitful resource for critiquing existing nursing approaches that are preoccupied with agency over structure.

Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Practice offers nurses a framework to uncover embodied knowledge of patients living with disabilities or illnesses: A discussion paper

“…Seven research teams demonstrated that a central struggle for patients with disabilities and illnesses is the embodied knowledge of marginalization (Cowdell, ; Edwards & Imrie, ; Gibson et al., ; Kelly, ; Thibodaux, ; Townsend, ; Westergren & Lilleaas, ). This may be further exacerbated when nurses and advanced nursing practice internalize a medical paradigm and would manage a patient by controlling access to knowledge and moving the patient through the medical system as an abnormal body and not as an individual experiencing illness or disability (Collyer et al., ; Nairn & Pinnock, ; Rhynas, ). Bourdieu's theory complements the dominant mechanistic medical paradigm with an approach considering “patients’ everyday practices” in the light of their disabilities and illnesses—and can assist nurses in grasping the dual nature of everyday (health) practice in both its objective and subjective aspects.…”

“…Bourdieu's theory provides nurse researchers with the possibility to elaborate a theoretically informed understanding of “patients” embodied knowledge’ or way of living that brings into consideration both objectivity and subjectivity. Patients suffering from disability and illnesses are structurally and culturally produced, and some patients may not fully understand how they as individuals fit into the bigger structure of systems of health care or the various fields of health care (Bourdieu, ; Collyer et al., ; Nairn & Pinnock, ). The concept of capital could assist nurses in understanding that human agency is complicated and reflects a combination of economic status and acquired symbolic experiences.…”

“…Bourdieu's conceptual innovations continued and renewed the work of Merleau-Ponty. In Bourdieu's theory of practice, the concepts of "capital," "habitus" and "field" were intended to overcome the objective/subjective divide (Bourdieu, 1990;Collyer, Willis, Franklin, Harley, & Short, 2015;Nairn & Pinnock, 2017). Bourdieu did not want the objective and subjective to be viewed as separate, but rather he wished that the objective and subjective be viewed as intertwined (Bourdieu, 1977).…”

“…The concept of "capital" can be understood as resources possessed by an individual or group. These resources can be economic wealth or other assets that assist in gaining a more prestigious position in society (Bourdieu, 1977(Bourdieu, , 1990Nairn & Pinnock, 2017). Capital extends beyond the idea of tangible material assets and includes a diversity of resources available to individuals in the "field," as explained below (Bourdieu, 1977;Nairn & Pinnock, 2017;Shusterman,1999).…”

“…The "habitus" is formed and impressed on individuals over their lifetime, and individuals are socialized to respond in particular ways and in certain circumstances according to how much capital they retain (Bourdieu, 1977;Nairn & Pinnock, 2017;Shusterman, 1999).…”