AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF PIERRE BOURDIEU

Abstract

Patrice Bonnewitz's work entitled First Lessons on the Sociology of P. Bourdieu completes, in 2023, 25 years since its publication in France in 1998 and 20 years since its translation in Brazil in 2003. Since then, the work has been cited and used as an introduction to the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002), a French sociologist and one of the most relevant intellectuals of the 20th century, considered by many to be a modern classic, given the great influence of his sociological approach in areas beyond of sociology, such as philosophy, political science, art and, in Brazil, especially in education, leaving a great legacy and intellectual heirs.
Because he is a complex author, who treats the study of his objects in a complex way, reading Bourdieu's writings, sometimes hermetic, is always a herculean task for those who set out to venture down this path. The issue of the language used by Bourdieu is often the subject of complaints from his readers. When asked about this in an interview, Bourdieu (2004, p. 68) stated that “what is complex can only be said in a complex way”.