PIERRE BOURDIEU AND EDUCATION:

HABITUS, CAPITALS, AND CENSORSHIP IN LITERATURE

Abstract

This article analyzes, based on Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and capitals, the dynamics of power present in social and human relations, emphasizing how these structures shape everyday practices and perceptions. It is a case study based on the book O Avesso da Pele by Jeferson Tenório, which was censored in some Brazilian states by education departments under right-wing and far-right governments, serving as a concrete example of how the political field interferes in the educational field, regulating what can or cannot be taught in public schools. The study problematizes the relationship between capitals, highlighting how power disputes impact schooling, legitimize certain narratives, and silence others, influencing what becomes legitimate in the school space and what is considered subversive. The research, grounded in the theory of practice, uses Bonnewitz (2003), Bourdieu (2001), Martins (1987), and Oliveira and Pessoa (2013) as theoretical references. The analysis revealed how social relations structure society, naturalize inequalities, and reinforce the reproduction of an exclusionary social habitus, while the school, as a space of disputes, acts both in maintaining and potentially breaking these structures. Thus, it becomes evident that the educational field is not neutral, being crossed by political disputes, expressed in censorship attempts and in the selection of school knowledge, reinforcing symbolic and social hierarchies. It is concluded that understanding these dynamics is essential to resist such impositions.