This research examines the phenomena of symbolic violence in MasterChef Junior America in the episode of Team Challenge Test MasterChef Junior America Season 6 in 2018. Applying the theory of Symbolic Violence as coined by Pierre Bourdieu, the analysis examines how cooking skills as cultural capital in the field of cooking can create stratification (class) to the contestants and turn into symbolic violence. This research applies qualitative analysis to study the selected videos of MasterChef Junior America season 6. The analysis technique of this research involves analyzing screenshot of selected scenes treated as signs, coding the selected scenes into some categories, and analyzing data categorization. This study shows that MasterChef Junior creates stratification of (cooking) skills through the symbolic power from the specific norms and value regimes of MasterChef agency played by the judges to the contestants. The skills of cooking are generated into level of knowledge which become the different cultural capital among the contestants. By structuring the cooking skills into different level, the program creates different habitus with specific cultural capitals leading to the status stratification (class) of the contestants. Unfortunately, the contestants are children who should not be perceived in their stratified ability since cooking for children should just for fun. Thus, it raises some forms of symbolic violence among children leading children with lesser cultural capital feel lack of confidence; they get worried, scared, pressured, and cried. It shows how MasterChef Junior America applies the values of competitive individualism to children.

Keywords: capital, cooking skill, field, habitus and symbolic violence.