word

Symbolic Violence

sim-BOL-ik VY-uh-lens

/sɪmˈbɒlɪk ˈvaɪələns/

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Syllable breakdown

symbolicviolence

Dictionary meaning

Pierre Bourdieu's concept of the subtle, often unconscious mechanisms by which power relations are reproduced and legitimised through cultural and symbolic means rather than physical force

History and origin

Introduced by Pierre Bourdieu; related to concepts of ideology and hegemony

Examples

Symbolic violence occurs when dominated groups internalise and accept the terms of their own domination.
The cultural devaluation of working-class accents in professional settings is a form of symbolic violence.

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