Transnational positioning of habitus: the importance of the temporal aspect

Alongside fixed dispositions, temporal constraints and possibilities play a crucial role in the positioning of habitus within social space. (Re)positioning within transnational frames is a complex experience, intensified by widening global class divisions, where recognition is pursued simultaneously across distinct yet interrelated fields and power hierarchies. This paper argues for greater sensitivity to the temporal dimension in Bourdieusian migration research to better account for the processes underlying migrants’ social (re)positioning. Drawing on case studies of international students in Berlin, it examines how past trajectories, present contingencies, and future aspirations interact with changing temporal structures and unequal conditions for recognition. Through a temporal lens, the analysis traces how habitus negotiates recognition and recalibrates across asynchronous temporalities and shifting hierarchies of value. In doing so, the paper invites renewed consideration of temporality within migration and stratification research, particularly in exploring how social inequalities are reproduced transnationally across time.