Cultural Capital External Factor 2.3

Question 1

Bourdieu 1984

Answer 1

Argues both cultural and material factors contribute to educational achievement and are not separate but interrelated.

Question 2

Cultural capital

Answer 2

Refers to knowledge,tastes, language, values and behaviours.
Bourdieu see middle class as a type of capital as it gives an advantage to those who possess it.
Bourdieu agrees with bernstein that middle class aquire the ability to graps analyse and express abstract ideas. This means they are more likely to develop intellectual interest and an understanding of what the education system requires.

Question 3

Educational and economic capital

Answer 3

Bourdieu argues that educational,economic and cultural capital can be converted into one another. Middle class children with cultural capital are better equipped to meet the demands of the school curriculum and gain qualifications. Wealthier parents can convert their economic capital into educational capital by sending their children to private schools. Leech and campos 2003 study shows middle class parents are more likely to be able to afford a house in the catchment area of a cool that is highly placed into eh exam league tables.

Question 4

A test of bourdieus ideas

Answer 4

Sullivan 2001 used questionnaires to conduct a survey of 465 pupils in 4 schools to assess their cultural capital. She asked them a range of activities such as reading and TV viewing habits whether they visited museums and theatres. Also tested vocab and knowledge of cultural figures. She found those who read complex fiction and watched serious TV developed a wider vocab and greater cultural knowledge indicating greater cultural capital.
She found that cultural capital only accounted for part of the class difference in achievement. Middle class more likely to be successful sith gcses.

Question 5

Gewitz marketisation and parental choice

Answer 5

Marketisation of education= schools encouraged to compete against each other and act more like private businesses.

Question 6

Semi skilled choosers

Answer 6

Mainly working class but were more ambitious than disconnected local choosers.
They lack cultural capital and found it difficult to make sense of educational market- instead they rely on opinions.
They were often frustrated at their inability to get into the school they wanted.

Question 7

Disconnected local choosers

Answer 7

Working class parents whose choices were restricted by their lack of economic and cultural capital.
They found it difficult to understand school admissions procedures.
Less aware of choices available to them and less able to them and less able to manipulate system.
Many attached more importance to safety and quality of facilities rather than league tables and long term ambition.
Distance and cost of travel.

Question 8

Privileged skilled choosers

Answer 8

Mainly professional middle class parents who used their economic and cultural capital to gain educational capital for their children.
They knew how school admissions work.
Had time to visit schools and the skills to research their options.
Could afford children around education system.