Habitual reflexivity and skilled action

Toner, John

Abstract

Theorists have used the concept habitus to explain how skilled agents are capable of responding in an infinite number of ways to the infinite number of possible situations that they encounter in their field of practice. According to some perspectives, habitus is seen to represent a form of regulated improvisation that functions below the threshold of consciousness. However, Bourdieu (1990) argued that rational and conscious computation may be required in situations of ‘crises’ where habitus proves insufficient as a basis for our actions. In the current paper, I draw on a range of evidence which indicates that conscious intervention (including self-reflective sensory consciousness) is required not only at points of crises but also as skilled performers engage in the mundane actions/practices that characterise their everyday training and performance regimes. The interaction of conscious learning and unconscious schemata leads to the development of a reflexive habitus which allows performers to refine and adapt embodied movement patterns over time.

Citation

Toner, J. (2017). Habitual reflexivity and skilled action. Body and Society, 23(4), 3-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357034X17736371

• Acceptance Date: Sep 8, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Oct 19, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Deposit Date: Oct 9, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 19, 2017
• Journal: Body & society
• Print ISSN: 1357-034X
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 3-26
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1357034X17736371
• Keywords: Habitus; Bourdieu; Expertise; Consciousness; Discursive practice; Bodily awareness
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/455472
• Publisher URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1357034X17736371
• Additional Information: This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article published in: Body & society, 2017, v.23 issue 4.
• Contract Date: Oct 9, 2017