Cultural capital

• What are the types of capitals according to Bordieu?

  • Cultural capital
  • Educational and economic capital
• Bourdieu argues how both cultural and material factors contribute to educational achievement. The capitals explain why the middle class are more successful.
• What is cultural capital in terms of achievement?

  This is the knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes and abilities of the middle class.

  Bourdieu argues how the middle class children have a lot of cultural capital which helps them achieve well in school since they know what the education system needs of them, giving them an advantage.

  Bourdieu argues how the education system is not neutral but favours and transmits the middle-class subculture
• What is the educational and economic capital in terms of achievement?

  Children who are middle-class are able to excel in school due to the school being based for their class and earn good qualifications. Similarly, the wealthy are able to afford private tuition for their children which allows them to achieve well in school. The middle class can also afford houses closer to school which enables for transport to school to be easier.
• How were Bourdieu's idea's tested?

  Questionnaires were conducted on over 400 pupils, asking them about a range of activities and whether they visited certain areas to assess their cultural capital. Those who read more and watched TV documentaries developed a wider vocabulary. The pupils with the greatest cultural capital were children of graduates who were more likely to be successful.
• What were the results of the test of Bourdieu's ideas?

  People with greater cultural capital were more likely to be middle-class, but the cultural capital only accounted for up to part of the class difference in achievement. Pupils of different classes sometimes had the same amount of cultural capital as middle class.

  The resources and aspiration of middle class students explains the remainder of the class gap in achievement