The symbolic violence concept in the sociological work of Pierce Bourdieu: a critical approach

Empirical research and sociological theory are inseparable for Bourdieu. In this paper I pretend to offer an analytical overview and critical appraisal of the notion of symbolic violence, less in terms of a systematic theoretical formulation and more in terms of a flexible instrument according to the specific issues of research through his work. The main hypothesis being exposed is that this concept can not be isolated from his specific researches on the symbolic domination and that it can be properly understood only in the context of his theory of practice.