Symbolic Violence and the Reproduction of Hegemony: An Anthropological Study

Abstract

This study examines symbolic violence as one of the most subtle and pervasive forms of violence in everyday life. Unlike physical or direct coercion, symbolic violence operates through symbols, meanings, language, cultural norms, and social institutions. The research adopts an anthropological analytical approach, drawing primarily on the theoretical framework developed by Pierre Bourdieu, alongside key contributions from Michel Foucault, Anthony Giddens, and Clifford Geertz, in order to analyze the mechanisms through which symbolic violence is produced and reproduced in social life.                                                         The study aims to reveal the various manifestations of symbolic violence embedded in everyday social practices and to analyze its role in sustaining relations of domination and social inequality. Particular attention is given to the ways in which symbolic violence is reproduced through institutions such as the family, education, media, and religious structures. In addition, the research provides illustrative examples from contemporary Iraqi society, demonstrating how symbolic violence functions as an invisible mechanism for the reproduction of social and cultural structures.