How do children perceive social hierarchy? A bibliographical review of Bourdiesian-tradition studies

Abstract

The article presents and analyzes works that use Pierre Bourdieu as a theoretical framework to think childhood. In this bibliographical review, we take Chamboredon’s and Prévot’s writings as a starting point to reach the recent works of Lignier and Pagis. The studies presented contribute to a still inconclusive task: to provide empirical evidence to corroborate or question the theoretical idea of habitus construction in childhood. The critical reception of these works highlights the methodological challenges presented to researchers who aim to understand childhood inequalities, calling attention to the need to consider childhood within an intersectional theoretical framework.

Keywords
habitus; Bourdieu; child socialization; social classification