How Language Teacher Identities Conflict in Light of Bourdieu’s Concepts of Habitus, Capital, and Field

Abstract

Author(s): Alshareefy, Rajwan | Abstract: Adopting Bourdieu’s (1986, 1977) concepts of habitus, field, and capital as a framework, I reflect on my multiple fluid identities as I study, teach, and live within two socially, culturally, and politically distinct places (Iraq and the United States). I examine my privileged and/or marginalized self throughout my journey and the way this privilege/marginalization influences my language teaching and learning experiences. The narratives used in this paper include poems I wrote, my literacy autobiography, and a few Facebook posts. Through my reflection, I provide an example of identity construction of a scholar and a teacher as he inhabits multiple space and places.