Social Capital And Cultural Capital

Tuition and finances are among the most commonly inquired topics regarding college. Socioeconomic status, one’s social and economic position within society, directly and indirectly influences the ability to attend college. It directly relates to the financial aspect of higher education. One explanation for this is the human capital theory, which suggests a negative correlation exists between parents’ income and educational level and the amount of student loan debt their

Social class is a large faction of people who have similar positions in an economic system. In an exemplary world, all students would have an equal shot at success, excellent schools, and educators that dedicate themselves and their time to achieving this goal. However, social class can significantly affect a student's success, highlighting the correlation between low socioeconomic statuses and academic problems. In all social groups, class plays a significant role in the attainment of children in education. Unfortunately, this has always been the case and the effects are just more evident today. Families from high social classes are more likely to obtain a greater level of education than those in low social classes. Members of upper social classes tend to be better educated and have higher incomes; therefore, they are better able to supply educational advantages to their children as well. Being in a financially disadvantaged can also affect a child’s performance during school.  It is important, therefore, to examine the way in which education is distributed through social class. Between societal pressures, expectations and parental negligence, children can be negatively impacted in their pursuit for future success through their education as exemplified through “College Pressures” and “The Sanctuary of School”.

A key strength of both approaches is that regardless of their social economic status academic success can be achieved. Leadership and a positive, inspirational, motivational atmosphere are also essential in closing the achievement gaps of social economic classes.

The conversations and interactions people have with each other is a key necessity in becoming an active member in any society. The bonds and relationships that people make is what forms a community. In Robert D. Putnam’s (2000), Bowling Alone, there are three forms of capital; physical which as physical objects, human so properties of an individual like education, and social which are the connections between individuals. Social capital is what makes us branch out into the world and interact with the ones around us, this is both good for ourselves and for the community. Social capital in America has dramatically decreased throughout each generation of population. With the expansion of technology and social reform, the youngest generation has become the most antisocial generation. This antisocial movement has become noticeable in many of groups interactions that use to have high amounts of interaction like political involvement, civic participation, religious participation, and workplace connections.

Would author Wes’s life turned to opposite direction, if he didn’t have strong social capital? Two years later, author Wes graduated from military school; he applied to Johns Hopkins University and eventually got an acceptance letter. Author Wes said, “his SAT scores were hundreds of points below the average for students entering Johns Hopkins, and despite him being a junior college graduate and an Army officer” (Moore160). Despite having a low score, because of social capital he earned admission to the university where he did his

The idea of subtractive schooling was first introduced by Angela Valenzuela in previous work before she wrote Subtractive Schooling: U.S.-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring, but expands on the idea in this book. She describes subtractive schooling as a type of schooling that deprives students of social and cultural resources, causing them to be more susceptible to academic failure (3). More specifically, this type of schooling refers to how immigrant and multilingual children whose native or first language is not English. In her book, Valenzuela details the many different ways the current school system is subtractive, all of them coming back to the idea of the loss for potential social capital. Social capital in this context means valuable social ties and networks that can add tangible resources like financial support or abstract resources like emotional support to help further a student in their educational path. Subtractive schooling takes away social capital in a number of ways.

For example, the home of a pupil is a primary agent in their socialisation and education and this therefore has the biggest impact on the pupil so when at school they will either be handicapped or at an advantage from their upbringing. For example, Modood argued that some ethnic minorities have higher levels of cultural capital, despite often being from a working-class background. Many Indians and Asians originate from working-class backgrounds even though they end up with middle class jobs. These parents therefore place particularly high values on educational success and contain the knowledge and understanding of education to motivate their children and help them to succeed.

They also have social capital; social networks, which help them in getting accepted into better schools. Therefore working-class young people are disadvantaged for many reasons; consequently educational achievement is a lot tougher for them than middle and upper-class young people.

The education in the United States today has main focuses, such as educational attainment, which is how far a student can get in school depending on family income and race/ethnicity. Family’s race and income can affect the possibility of someone’s attendance in college. The rate for dropouts in schools is highest for Latinos and Native Americans and lowest for Whites and Asians. As for income, families with high income are more likely to attend college than families with low income. Gender also effects educational attainment. There is a gender difference today that females are more likely than males to graduate high school, and finish college and obtaining a degree. The UnitedStates is considered a credential society, which indicates if a person has the knowledge, degree or skill

Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital has been extremely influential, and has garnered a great deal of literature, both theoretical and empirical. Like Marx, Bourdieu posited that capital was the foundation of social life and dictated people’s position within the social hierarchy (Bourdieu 1986). According to Bourdieu, the more capital one possesses, the more prestigious a position one occupies in social life (Bourdieu 1986). In addition to that, Bourdieu extended Marx’s idea of capital beyond the economic and into cultural symbolism (Bourdieu 1986). Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital that refers to the collection of symbolic elements (e.g. skills, tastes, clothing) one acquires through being part of a particular social niche and his concept of habitus that refers to the physical manifestation of cultural capital owned by individuals due to life experiences are his major influential concepts that are very useful in deconstructing power in development and social change processes. However it must be recognized that these concepts also propagate social inequalities at the same time. This essay will closely examine his concepts of capital that comes in three forms - embodied, objectified, and institutionalised, and habitus in the fields of education and stratification have made of it. Bourdieu’s work will be analysed in the context both of the debate on class inequalities in educational attainment and of class reproduction in advanced capitalist societies.

Pierre Bourdieu developed the concept of cultural capital in order to attempt to explain the differences in educational outcomes in France during the 1960’s. Cultural capital is theorised as the forms of knowledge, skill, education; any advantages a person has which, give them a higher status in society, including high expectations (Nick Stevenson, 1995.pp.46-48). This differentiates economic and social status from the class agenda which, is rigidly sustained through an exclusive cycle. Cultural capital itself can be used in analysis of the class system, and how the dominant aesthetic and ideology is sustained from generation to generation.

That a student’s social class origin impacts on their learning outcomes is self-evident across much of the developed world, with entrenched disparities in academic achievement that are inversely correlated with family income (Snook, 2009:3, Argy, 2007:para 3, Reay, 2006:289, Nash, 2003:179-180).

Cultural capital is an idea that was used by Bordieu to contribute to his explanation of inequality in social settings (Zepke & Leach, 2007). It comprises the “norms, values and practices of a society” (Zepke & Leach, 2007, p.657). “Cultural capital includes cultural resources and activities that are expressed in the relationships between parents and children” (Tramonte & Willms, 2010, p.203). This results in cultural capital being different in different social settings. This can create inequality because of the difference in values, knowledge and skills that individuals can bring to a certain environment. One issue can be the conflict between teacher and student because of their cultural capital and can result in unequal educational outcomes because the cultural capital of others is valued higher than other students.

Pierre Bourdieu is a French Theorist. Bourdieu’s theory is to emphasize constructivist structuralism and he was influenced by Karl Marx by cultural capital. Bourdieu presents the question of class. Bourdieu claimed that capital forms the foundation of social life. Bourdieu thinks the more capital a person have, the more powerful they will be, and Marx had the same view as well. Bourdieu went on to claim that it had something to do with the symbolic realm of culture. When Bourdieu brings culture into it he means the peoples attribute to the world, structured by inequality and culture structures of inequality, also states that is a big part of social inequality. Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital is skills, tastes, posture, clothing, mannerisms, material belongings, credentials, etc. You usually receive them through a social class. Bourdieu divides capital into three forms embodied, objectified, and institutionalized. He gives an example of embodied cultural capital, while a luxury car is an example of cultural capital in its objectified state. In its institutionalized state cultural capital would be credentials and qualifications (degrees or titles that shows cultural authority and acceptance.

Success, achievement and participation at school are not simply a matter of intelligence or ability. Discuss this statement with reference to the concepts of cultural capital, hidden curriculum, class and socioeconomic status.