Social Representations in the Cultural Field: A Sociological Approach to the Power Disputes in the Appropriation and Social Legitimation of Cultural Goods in Mariana (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

This article investigates the power struggles inherent in the social representations of cultural heritage within the context of Mariana, Minas Gerais, focusing on their appropriation and legitimation processes. Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of fields and Serge Moscovici’s Social Representations Theory (SRT), the study examines how competing representations among heritage preservation agents operate within a field of forces. Findings reveal that the institutional (official) perspective – which dictates heritage listing criteria – is predominantly shaped by the hegemonic representations dominating this subfield. The research adopts a multiple case study approach, analyzing agents engaged in Mariana’s heritage preservation through: a) Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews; b) Systematic non-participant observation; c) Documentary analysis (newspaper archives, municipal records). Key outcomes include: 1) The contextual dynamics of social representation (SR) production; 2) The typology of representations and their hierarchical positioning among agents; 3) The contestation and legitimization of SRs within the subfield. The study demonstrates that a representation’s dominance correlates with its degree of social dissemination and institutional validation. The most socially legitimized SRs emerge as "victors" in the ideological struggle to define heritage. Consequently, the research underscores how economic and cultural capital underpin both the construction of heritage representations and their legitimation mechanisms.