Symbolic Violence and Gendered Aspirations: A Bourdieusian Study of Educational Choice and Achievement

Abstract

This study investigates the role of symbolic violence in shaping gendered educational aspirations and achievement through a Bourdieusian framework. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field, capital, and symbolic violence, the research examines how institutional norms, socialization, and evaluative practices influence students’ perceptions of ability, subject choice, and career trajectories. A qualitative research design was employed, using purposive sampling to select relevant literature from online digital databases. Thematic analysis identified seven major themes: symbolic violence, gendered habitus, capital and recognition, structured agency, institutional regulation, intersectionality, and resistance and reflexivity. Findings reveal that educational aspirations are socially conditioned rather than purely individual, with cultural, social, and symbolic capital differentially recognized along gendered and classed lines. Intersectional factors further mediate opportunities and outcomes, whereas students simultaneously negotiate, resist, and reinterpret institutional expectations. The study concludes that educational trajectories are structured by both power and agency, reproducing or challenging gendered inequalities. These insights underscore the importance of critically examining institutional practices and socialized dispositions to promote more equitable educational policies and pedagogical interventions.