The article explores the relationship between language, symbolic power, and urban space based on the thinking of Pierre Bourdieu. Following a theoretical-comparative perspective, it shows how the words that circulate in the political, media, and academic fields do not describe the city, but produce it, legitimizing spatial and moral hierarchies. The article refers to the genealogy of terms such as slum, bidonville, and blight to show how they act as performative devices that guide urban policies and naturalize inequality. Urban language is understood as a field of forces in which symbolic violence is exercised, masked by technical neutrality and meritocratic discourse.
LE PAROLE DELLA CITTÀ: UNA ANALISI BOURDIEUSIANA
SONIA PAONE
2025-01-01
Abstract
The article explores the relationship between language, symbolic power, and urban space based on the thinking of Pierre Bourdieu. Following a theoretical-comparative perspective, it shows how the words that circulate in the political, media, and academic fields do not describe the city, but produce it, legitimizing spatial and moral hierarchies. The article refers to the genealogy of terms such as slum, bidonville, and blight to show how they act as performative devices that guide urban policies and naturalize inequality. Urban language is understood as a field of forces in which symbolic violence is exercised, masked by technical neutrality and meritocratic discourse.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
