Socium

Pierre Bourdieu, one of the prominent sociologists of the 20th century, examined social structure in great detail. He built his sociology around the concepts of field, habitus and capital. Using these concepts, he conducted analyses related to social structure. Bourdieu viewed society as a space where individuals behave in accordance with the environment in which they were born and raised and where they struggle to succeed by developing strategies within the fields they enter, using the different forms of capital they possess. Abdurrahim Bey Hagverdiyev is one of the prominent writers who contributed to the literary scene in Azerbaijan at the end of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century. In his works, he critically examined the social structure using a refined literary style. He strongly criticized the ignorance of the people of his time, their belief in superstitions and their resistance to change. His story Mirze Sefer vividly portrays the social structure of Azerbaijan during that period and highlights how reactionary the people were. In the story, the fact that the main character differs from the general structure of society and possesses a certain level of knowledge, yet suffers and is marginalized as a result, is delicately conveyed. The author, in a way, positions progressiveness against backwardness, offering a literary interpretation of the social structure. In this context, the work contains rich content for analysis through Bourdieu’s sociological concepts. The characters’ distribution of capital, the fields they inhabit and the habitus they develop within these fields are particularly noteworthy. Considering these aspects, the importance of conducting a Bourdieusian reading of the story becomes evident once again.