Between lifecourse and social inequalities. Articulation proposals and research results

Abstract

In this paper, we trace a conceptual roadmap aimed at reconciling a life course perspective with the sociology of class and social inequality. We begin by presenting the life course perspective, reflecting on the central role it grants to processes of institutional regulation. Taking stock of critiques to both atomist explanations of agency and structural determinisms, we advocate for a longitudinal reading of how inequalities shape individual and collective trajectories, mobilizing concepts advanced by Pierre Bourdieu. We then demonstrate the potential of this approach to discuss how life course trajectories unfold in late modernity, drawing on recent research on Portugal.