Embedding Symbolic Power in the Relational Turn

Understanding how nature’s values become institutionalised, while others are marginalised, is central to advancing sustainability transformations. The relational turn in sustainability science is centred around the coconstitutive dynamics of human–nature relationships. Yet, it has so far paid limited attention to the power relations that shape which values gain legitimacy or are marginalised. We introduce the concept of symbolic power—defined as the capacity to naturalise particular worldviews and value systems—as a critical yet underexplored dimension of the formation of relational values of nature. Drawing on social theory and critical realism, we present a conceptual framework that focuses on how symbolic power mediates the co-evolution of individual values and socially endorsed beliefs, influencing the institutionalisation of certain values over others. A case study of fisheries governance in Japan illustrates the role of symbolic power and highlights the conditions under which sustainability-aligned relational values—such as care and reciprocity—can gain social legitimacy and institutional traction. Key implications are identified for governance and policy, emphasising the need to foster deliberative and reflexive spaces that support symbolic shifts and recognition of plural values as preconditions for sustainability transformations.