Language As Symbolic Violence In The Process Of Student-Teacher Social Interaction In Senior High Schools In Ambon City

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the forms of symbolic violence that emerge through the use of language in social interactions between students and teachers in several high schools in Ambon City. Symbolic violence is understood as a form of disguised domination through communication practices, where language becomes an instrument for legitimizing power and reproducing social structures within the school environment. The research approach used was descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The research results indicate that symbolic violence occurs through the choice of diction, intonation, and the teacher's speaking style, which indirectly reinforces the social hierarchy between teachers and students. On the other hand, students' language responses, which tend to be passive, reinforce that power relation. This phenomenon shows that language in educational spaces not only functions as a means of communication but also as a tool for social control and the reproduction of values of domination. The findings of this research are expected to serve as a reflection for more egalitarian and symbolically just educational communication practices in schools in Ambon City.