UNRAVELING SUEPENO’S SOCIAL PRACTICES THROUGHHABITUSANDCAPITAL IN BOURDIEU’S THEORY

This research examines the social practices of Suepeno, a prominent Indonesianintellectual and government official during the early post-independence period, usingPierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework. Through an analysis of habitus, capital, andfielddynamics, I explore how Suepeno's background shaped his actions and howhemaneuvered through Indonesia's political and educational landscapes. Drawingonhistorical documents and secondary sources through qualitative descriptive methods, myfindings show that Suepeno's formation through colonial education and nationalist engagement allowed him to build and transform different types of capital—especiallycultural and symbolic resources. These assets positioned him as an influential figurewithin Indonesia's emerging bureaucratic and intellectual spheres. The researchdemonstrates how Suepeno's career exemplifies the complex relationship betweenindividual agency and structural forces, showing how elite figures can both perpetuateandtransform social systems through strategic field engagement. This work adds totheexpanding scholarship on Bourdieu's theory in Southeast Asian contexts while deepeningour sociological understanding of historical political agency