Culture and politics in Juiz de Fora-MG

the link between habitus and political behavior through Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA)

Abstract

The present work aims to present findings from research I have conducted with voters and activists in the city of Juiz de Fora - MG, in which I investigate how the volume and composition of the capitals presented by these agents relate to their political and/or electoral behavior, seeking to position them in social spaces constructed through the technique of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). These investigations are guided by the assumption that the concept of habitus allows for significant advances in understanding political behavior and engagement in the contemporary Brazilian context. Thinking in terms of a scientific field, the analysis of the political behavior of groups is predominantly conducted by a North American-based political science. The idea here is to present an alternative approach, theoretically and methodologically grounded in a French sociology, particularly Bourdieusian, as an attempt to carve out a distinct position in the “legitimate” production of knowledge.