Reading Bourdieu in Casanova: Field Theory, Ilusio, and Habitus

Pascale Casanova’s world literature theory and methodology developed in The World Republic of Letters draws heavily from Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology. While criticism to date has noted that Casanova builds on Bourdieu and makes use of a number of his concepts, the extent to which Bourdieu underpins Casanova’s work has not been fully uncovered. This paper analyses some of the methodological, conceptual, and theoretical elements which Casanova has drawn from Bourdieu, particularly through her adaptation and development of concepts such as the literary field, illusio, and habitus. In an explicit sense, Casanova extends Bourdieu’s nationally focused field theory and analysis to a complex international scale. Yet, more implicitly, Casanova draws on concepts such as illusio, habitus, and methods of critical reflexivity and epistemological vigilance, which she also borrows from Bourdieu. As such, by reading Bourdieu in Casanova, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of Casanova’s theory and methodology.