Writing between Genres: Pierre Bourdieu’s Sociology in Literature

<ns3:p> The paper considers the general theoretical and methodological problems of the sociology of literature within the conceptual framework developed by one of the most influential theorists in the field – Pierre Bourdieu. Since the theoretical premises and methodology of the studies presented in his book <ns3:italic>The Rules of Art: Genesis and Structure of the Literary Field</ns3:italic> have already received much attention, we focus on the more marginal aspects of Bourdieu’s relationship to literature and their implications for his concept of reflexive sociology. We focus on the various strategies Bourdieu uses to take up literary techniques in his own work and attempt to relate the author’s writing to his insights into modernist literature and his critique of sociological positivism. Particular attention is paid to his, conditionally speaking,“anti-autobiographical” texts ( <ns3:italic>Pascalian Meditations</ns3:italic> , <ns3:italic>The Biographical Illusion</ns3:italic> , <ns3:italic>Sketch for a Self-Analysis</ns3:italic> ), which are often associated with prominent names in contemporary political literature. Starting from the general theme of the theory and methodology of the sociology of literature and the narrower theme of Bourdieu’s relationship to literature, we attempt to shed light on a theorist whose thought can provide a basis for criticising numerous tendencies in the contemporary literary field, such as the prevalence of biographical reading, autofiction and the referential conception of language, as well as their place in the literary market. </ns3:p>