Habitus

1. What is your definition of 'habitus' as a writer?

From what I have read, habitus is a concept that is deeply intertwined with culture and history. It is the collection of social norms, customs, communication and body language that shape an individual's experience of the world. It contends that many of these things we take for granted and see as inherent in the human experience are actually learned and constructed, either deliberately or subconsciously. Habitus groups sets of people with common experience, but also recognises the unique nature of a person's life. The individual cannot be removed from the context in which it exists. The individual is a variation/ version of the possibilities presented by the collective. Furthermore, smaller and larger habitus interact and act as subsections of one another. As a writer, I seek to interrogate and be aware of these constructions and systems that impact my sense of reality, and consider how other people's may be different. 

2. What is your writer habitus - i.e., your aesthetic (different from genre)? What constitutes 'good' writing as a social value to you, and how did you get there?

As a writer, my habitus as a young female is often reflected in my work. Although no one's experience is identical, I often write about elements of metropolitan, western womanhood that may be common to other individuals who belong to this habitus. I sometimes struggle with the fact that I have learned to define 'good writing' as complex, 'intellectual' and sophisticated both in concepts and vocabulary. However, I am becoming more aware that 'good writing' can be simple, light and in accessible language. This is largely due to wide reading and listening to spoken word poetry. 

3. How do you think your habitus could be transformed for re-structuring - both in this course and in your writing career in general?

Whilst there are some elements of my habitus that have remained fairly constant, such as my nationality, my gender, where I live and the social community I belong to, other elements are constantly changing. A lot of this is due to becoming more aware of other people's habitus and therefore more aware of the impact of my own habitus on my thinking. In this way, although the concrete elements of my habitus tend not to change, my understanding and therefore my interaction with them is developing. I think this course will give further opportunity to this kind of development as we delve particularly into the elements of habitus relating to place and culture.