From Pierre Bourdieu’s Sociology to Farming: The Role of Habitus and Capital in Agricultural Production

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 2, 91 - 117, 14.10.2025

İlhan Karmutoğlu , Burak Kesgin

https://doi.org/10.52613/ujhc.1651303

Abstract

This article brings together studies that apply Pierre Bourdieu’s key sociological concepts to the agricultural domain, offering a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding farming and agricultural production. Traditional approaches based on economic rationality and profit maximization fall short in explaining why farmers continue agricultural activities despite economic challenges. In this context, the article examines how economic, social, cultural, and symbolic forms of capital influence farming practices and decision-making processes. By systematically evaluating the application of Bourdieu’s conceptual framework in agricultural sociology, this study provides a comparative analysis of various research efforts in the field. It explores how farmers construct their professional identities, shape their agricultural decisions, and position themselves within broader social structures through the concepts of habitus, field, and capital. This study contributes to the integration of Bourdieu’s theory into agricultural sociology by synthesizing existing research and offering a conceptual foundation for future studies.

Keywords

Agricultural production , Agricultural sociology , Capital , Farming , Habitus , Pierre Bourdieu

Pierre Bourdieu’nün Sosyolojisinden Çiftçiliğe: Habitus ve Sermaye Kavramlarının Tarımsal Üretimdeki Rolü

Abstract

Bu makale, Pierre Bourdieu’nün sosyolojisindeki temel kavramları tarımsal alan bağlamında ele alan çalışmaları bir araya getirerek, çiftçiliği ve tarımsal üretimi daha kapsamlı bir teorik çerçevede değerlendirmektedir. Geleneksel ekonomik rasyonalite ve kâr maksimizasyonuna dayalı yaklaşımlar, çiftçilerin tarımsal faaliyetlerini sürdürme nedenlerini açıklamada yetersiz kalmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, ekonomik sermayenin yanı sıra sosyal, kültürel ve sembolik sermaye biçimlerinin çiftçilik pratikleri ve karar alma süreçleri üzerindeki etkileri incelenmektedir. Makale, Bourdieu’nün kavramsal çerçevesinin tarım sosyolojisi literatüründe nasıl uygulandığını sistematik bir şekilde değerlendirerek, farklı ölçeklerde yapılan çalışmaları karşılaştırmalı olarak ele almaktadır. Çiftçilerin mesleki kimliklerini, tarımsal kararlarını ve toplumsal konumlarını nasıl şekillendirdiklerini anlamak için habitus, alan ve sermaye kavramlarının sunduğu analitik olanaklar tartışılmaktadır. Bu çalışma, tarım sosyolojisi alanında Bourdieu’nün kavramlarını merkeze alan araştırmaların bütüncül bir çerçevede ele alınmasına katkı sunmakta ve gelecekteki çalışmalar için kavramsal bir temel oluşturmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

Çiftçilik , Habitus , Pierre Bourdieu , Sermaye , Tarımsal üretim , Tarım sosyolojisi

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