Symbolic Capital, Domination and Legitimacy: The Weberian Roots in the Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu

Abstract

The notion of symbolic capital is one of the most complex concepts constructed by Pierre Bourdieu. This paper provides a critical analysis of its origin, meaning and functions. It explores the use that Bourdieu made of symbolic capital in his research on different forms of domination, the market of symbolic goods, the bureaucratic field, the symbolic strategies of the dominant classes, and the symbolic struggles for hegemony in the global society. Despite its strong similarities with the Weberian concepts of charisma and legitimacy, the notion of symbolic capital can only be appropriately understood in relation to the other core concepts of Bourdieu`s general economy of practice, in which it is used as a heuristic instrument to articulate the subjective and objective dimensions of any social phenomenon.