Bourdieu in Algeria: Colonial Politics, Ethnographic Practices, Theoretical Developments

The shadow cast by Pierre Bourdieu’s theory is large and well documented, but his early ethnographic work in Algeria is less well known and often overlooked. This volume, the first critical examination of Bourdieu’s early fieldwork and its impact on his larger body of social theory, represents an original and much-needed contribution to the field. Its six essays reappraise Bourdieu’s original research in light of contemporary processes and make substantial contributions to the ethnography of North Africa. The contributors are scholars of North Africa and France, and each is actively engaged with Bourdieu’s work. Bourdieu in Algeria offers a unique focus on Kabylia, Algeria; theory; history; and anthropology.