Cultural Capital

Question 1

What are the 3 types of capital bourdieu identifies ?

Answer 1

• Cultural
  -Educational
  -Economic

Question 2

What does Bourdieu mean by cultural capital ?

Answer 2

Cultural capital refers to the knowledge , attitudes , values , language , taste and abilities of the middle class , the middle class class are more likely to develop intellectual interests and an understanding of what the education system requires for success

Question 3

How does Bourdieu argue lack of cultural capital for working class students disadvantages them in education ?

Answer 3

Working class children find that the school devalues their culture as rough and inferior and their lack of cultural capital leads to exam failure , many working class students get the message that education is not meant for them and respond by truanting , early leaving or just not trying to

Question 4

How does Bourdieu argue that economic and educational capital can all be converted into one another ?

Answer 4

Wealthier parents can convert their economic capital into educational capital by sending their children to private schools and paying for extra tuition

Question 5

How did Leech and campos study show how economic capital can be converted into educational capital ?

Answer 5

Leech and Camps found that middle class parents are more likely to be able to afford a house in a catchment area of a school that is highly placed in the exam league tables . This is known as selection by mortgage because it drives up the cost of houses near schools and therefore excludes working class families

Question 6

What is meant by selection by mortgage ?

Answer 6

Selection by mortgage refers to house prices being increased near successful schools which excludes working class families from getting their children into successful schools

Question 7

How did Sullivan test Bourdieu’s ideas of cultural capital ?

Answer 7

Sullivan used questionnaires to conduct a survey of 465 pupils in 4 schools , to assess their cultural capital she asked them about a range of activities such as reading and TV viewing habits , whether they visited art galleries , museums etc , she also tested their knowledge of cultural figures .
Sullivan found that those who read complex fiction and watched serious TV documentaries developed a wider vocabulary and greater cultural knowledge , indicating greater cultural capital , these pupils were more likely to be successful at GCSE