Thinking with Bourdieu against Bourdieu: A 'practical' critique of the habitus

There are two strands in Bourclieu's sociological writings. On the one hand Bourdieu argues for a theoretical position one might term his 'practical t heory" which emphasizes virtuosic interactions between individuals. On the other hand, and most frequently, Bourdieu appeals to the concept of the hab itus according to which society consists of objective structures and determ ined-and isolated-individuals. Although Bourdieu believes that the habitus is compatible with his practical theory and overcomes the impasse of object ivism and subjectivism in social theory, neither claim is the case; the hab itus is incompatible with his practical theory, and it retreats quickly int o objectivism. However Bourdieu's practical theory does offer a way out of the impasse of objectivism and subjectivism by focussing on the intersubjec tive interactions between individuals.