Pierre Bourdieu (sociologist)

Pierre Bourdieu was a French sociologist who studied how social structures influence people's behaviors and opportunities. He introduced concepts like "habitus," the ingrained habits and perceptions shaped by social background, and "capital," which includes economic, cultural, social, and symbolic resources that affect one's social status. Bourdieu argued that society tends to reproduce existing inequalities through these forms of capital and perceptions, often unconsciously, impacting individuals' chances in life. His work helps explain how social position and cultural preferences are interconnected, revealing the subtle ways power and privilege are maintained across generations.