"Symbolic capital" is the form that economic or cultural capital takes when it is perceived and recognized as legitimate. A Nobel Prize, a review in a top journal, or a museum acquisition are forms of consecration. Crucially, Bourdieu shows that even the most "disinterested" aesthetic judgment is shaped by one’s position in the field.
Bourdieu defines a field as a structured social space with its own rules, positions, and struggles for power. The cultural production field is a relatively autonomous sub-field within the broader field of power (dominated by economic and political capital). It contains two main sub-fields: the field of cultural production bourdieu pdf
Bourdieu examines the role of intellectuals within the field of cultural production, arguing that they play a crucial part in shaping cultural values, norms, and hierarchies. Intellectuals act as "consecrators," legitimating certain cultural products and practices while delegitimating others. However, Bourdieu also contends that intellectuals often suffer from a form of "scholastic bias," which leads them to overestimate the importance of abstract, theoretical knowledge and underestimate the role of extra-academic factors in shaping cultural production. "Symbolic capital" is the form that economic or