Violencia simbólica y la pérdida del significado de los derechos humanos en Colombia

Abstract

This document analyzes the phenomenon of symbolic violence from a critical and multidimensional perspective, recognizing its conceptual complexity and the need to overcome reductionist positions. Based on a theoretical framework proposed primarily by Galtung and Bourdieu, the text problematizes naturalistic conceptions and proposes an understanding of violence as a social, historical, and symbolic construction. The methodology adopted is qualitative, with a theoretical and documentary approach based on a critical review of classical and contemporary authors and compared with an analysis of the Colombian context using data from official entities, non-governmental organizations, and situated examples. This contrast allows for the articulation of basic concepts and the concrete situations that objectify them as structural and symbolic violence, especially in settings such as school, home, and work, where power relations tend to be normalized. The text concludes, first, that symbolic violence, by presenting itself as part of common sense, weakens the social fabric and, because it is considered legitimate, perpetuates inequalities without generating resistance. Secondly, in the Colombian case, this form of violence coexists with direct violence stemming from the armed conflict, normalizing practices that violate rights. This paper invites us to make these dynamics visible as a necessary condition for advancing the construction of a culture of peace, recognizing that overcoming violence requires transforming not only structures but also their symbolic foundations.