Bourdieuan “Reflexivity” Against the Monotonous Submissiveness of the Biography: Why Autobiographies Don't Disturb Us?

Abstract

This article focuses on the practical function of biography, which is based on an epistemic activity and treated as an analysis effort. Overall, this study aims to apply Pierre Bourdieu's concept of "reflexivity" to biography literature, which is achieved through a triple analysis layer that results in the development of a new approach to interpreting biographies. This study discusses the concepts of reflexivity and autoanalysis, both research practices, in the context of strategies for writing biographies, and it emphasizes why Bourdieu, who is distant from the concept of autobiography, prefers the concept of autoanalysis. From this point of view, there is a discussion around biographical illusion. Today, when micro-narratives are gaining importance, biographical texts have many social functions beyond recording life stories, and as a result they have become important research topics for sociologists. In this light, this article focuses on the functions and sanctions of biographies, which are texts shaped by their authors.