Bourdieu

Pierre Bourdieu was a sociologist who explored how social groups maintain their status and power through various resources called "capital." This includes economic assets, cultural knowledge, social connections, and symbolic recognition. He introduced the idea of "habitus," which refers to the ingrained habits, dispositions, and ways of thinking shaped by one's background and experiences. Bourdieu argued that society's structures influence individuals' behaviors, but those individuals also reproduce these structures unknowingly. His work helps explain social inequality, how social status is maintained, and how cultural practices reflect and reinforce societal differences.