Symbolic Violence

Conceptual Overview and Discussion

Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu developed a theory of social structure that relied on the existence of fields within society, which had their own rules and were considered status quo. Because the social structure of society often relies on the qualification of some social groups over others, depending on their ownership of forms of capital that are valued by society and those fields, some are seen to be superior and others inferior. Bourdieu explained symbolic violence as the way that strata within society are able to remain stable and be accepted by all within it, including those at a lower level. Bourdieu used the term field to encompass a realm within society that has its own rules, for example, the field of education, economics, the home, or law. Within each field these rules govern definitions for what and who is deemed more and less valuable. Each player within the field is born into a certain habitus, or self-knowledge, that is not only defined by a common understanding of the value of individuals and traits but also is monitored by other members of the field according to these rules. Capital in many forms, including economic, social, cultural, educational, and symbolic, is accumulated by players and traded up for better levels of society within the field. The social strata of the field remains stable, unless there is a crisis, in which the definition must change because of a change in values within the field. However, the field usually stabilizes and maintains its hierarchy of players according to a new definition of valuable capital.

Application

Case studies have provided the opportunity to delve into the construction and sustainment of symbolic violence in many settings and fields within society. Case studies offer the opportunity [Page 917]to study a particular phenomenon, person, or group or institution to gain as much knowledge as possible about it. In particular, symbolic violence is a concept that has been explored in different settings and levels of complexity, from individual to group and societal experiences. For example, in the field of education studies have focused on the experiences of children according to their class level. Paul Connolly and Julie Healy found the level of class, be it upper, middle, or lower, affected children's aspirations for future study and work depending on their awareness of their locality as a determination of their habitus. Children who identified with only their own particular locality were less likely to aspire to live or study in other places. Their limitation in place reflected a limited habitus, and this was seen as symbolic violence through class structure.

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