The French Connection

Zsuzsa Ferge and Pierre Bourdieu on Social Structure, Inequalities in Life Chances, and the Possibilities for Their Reduction in the 1960s and 1970s

Abstract

This study examines the intellectual relationship between the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and Hungarian sociologist Zsuzsa Ferge. It analyzes the patterns of their sociological perspectives and practices, drawing primarily on their writings and interviews. The central question concerns the circumstances under which the professional and personal connection between Ferge and Bourdieu emerged – one that significantly shaped the development of Hungarian sociology during the 1960s and 1970s. The study also explores the specific (pre)conditions of this influential “French connection” from a Hungarian perspective. Uncovering these preconditions requires a multi-layered historical reconstruction capable of revealing the interrelations between social, political, scientific, and research histories, while also taking into account key biographical and even formative familial experiences. The investigation thus applies the historical-sociological method of habitus analysis, developed by Bourdieu and later adopted by Ferge herself, to their own lives, works, and intellectual relationship. The analysis focuses primarily on the reciprocal nature of their closely aligned views regarding social structure, the inequalities of life chances, and the possibilities for their reduction.