Introduction

From The Algerians (Bourdieu 1962a) to Pascalian Meditations (Bourdieu 2000a) and Science of Science and Reflexivity (Bourdieu 2004 [2001]), the notion of reflexivity is both at the origin and at the centre of Pierre Bourdieu's work. As a methodological concept, reflexivity occupies a central role in the evolution of his work, not to say a defining one if it is to be understood within the intellectual field:

A concept is defined according to how it is understood and extended. As such, reflexivity in Bourdieu's intertwined empirical and theoretical work is the moving representation of an object through the constant (re)formulation/expression of its use and its meaning. This is accompanied by parallel illustrations of its practically-grounded scientific and epistemological relevance and significance (Bourdieu 1977b; 1990c; 1988a; 1994d; 1998c). Certain concepts gain in applicability through the extension of the way they may be understood and used – often at the cost of coherence. However, reflexivity, as defined in Bourdieu's work, has followed a different path as he has sought to explain and refine its meaning and its multiple applicability, not least in relation to its evolving environment.