On 'habitus', 'forms of sociation' and the future

This paper concentrates on the concepts of 'forms of sociation' (a term coined by Georg Simmel and which, for him, constituted the very object of sociology) as well as on Pierre Bourdieu's concept of 'habitus' as key sociological concepts which contain relevant insights about the ways in which the future can be incorporated into sociological theory and our researches in a fruitful way. The approach to the future which derives from the use of these concepts (and their related theoretical perspectives) avoids the temptation of prediction, but, at the same time, does not avoid the central importance of the future in our social relationships, but, to the contrary, helps us conceptualise and understand this central importance, offering patterns and tools to better approach, and research it. Examples stemming from my own research will help illustrate the arguments presented in the paper.