cultural capital

• Cultural capital involves the possession of cultural characteristics that give someone an advantage in life
• Pierre Bourdieu's 1984 concept of cultural capital states that possession or lack of possession shapes opportunity in society
• Bourdieu identified 4 types of capital:

  • Economic capital: ownership and wealth
  • Cultural capital: educational qualifications, lifestyle, knowledge of arts and literature
  • Social capital: social contacts and knowledge
  • Symbolic capital: seen as respectable by the community
• Middle class mothers are able to use cultural capital as a HeadStart for their children, according to Gillian Evans in 2007
• Middle class parents can use their cultural capital to ensure their child gets accepted into their school of choice, as noted by Ball et al in 1994
• Alice Sullivan's 2001 study found that there are strong similarities between parental and children's cultural capital, influencing academic success
• Habitus refers to the dispositions and taken-for-granted ways of thinking, being, and acting shared by a particular group
• Examples of cultural capital include parents encouraging children to read, taking them to museums, researching schools, and helping with homework
• Putnam's 1995 work "Bowling Alone" highlights the significance of social networking in realizing one's potential and how social capital impacts individuals' life chances
• Gerwitz's 1995 study on cultural capital, marketization, and parental choice found that the level of cultural and economic capital leads to major class differences in choosing schools for children
• Evaluation points include the need to not assume working class is inferior, recognizing factors inside schools, and understanding that material deprivation can have a significant impact on educational outcomes