EDUCATION - Class External Factors (Cultural Capital) Flashcards
What are the three types of capital identified by Pierre BOURDIEU?
Economic capital, educational capital, and cultural capital.
How does BOURDIEU define ‘cultural capital’?
Cultural capital refers to the knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes, and abilities that the middle class possess, which give them an advantage in the educational system.
What advantages do middle-class children have in school due to their cultural capital?
Middle-class children can better grasp, analyze, and express abstract ideas, develop intellectual interests, and understand what the education system requires for success, leading to better academic performance.
How does the education system favor middle-class culture according to BOURDIEU?
The education system values and rewards the abilities and interests that middle-class children acquire through their socialization, thus favoring and transmitting the dominant middle-class culture.
What is ‘selection by mortgage’?
‘Selection by mortgage’ refers to the phenomenon where middle-class parents can afford to buy houses in the catchment areas of high-performing schools, thereby converting their economic capital into educational capital.
How can economic capital be converted into educational capital?
Wealthier parents can convert economic capital into educational capital by paying for private schools, extra tuition, and homes in desirable school catchment areas.
What did SULLIVAN’s (2001) study aim to test?
SULLIVAN’s study aimed to test Bourdieu’s ideas by assessing the cultural capital of pupils and its impact on their educational achievement.
What method did SULLIVAN use to assess cultural capital in her study?
She used questionnaires to ask pupils about their reading habits, TV viewing habits, and visits to cultural sites, and she tested their vocabulary and knowledge of cultural figures.
What did SULLIVAN find about the relationship between cultural capital and GCSE success?
Pupils with greater cultural capital, often children of graduates, were more likely to be successful at GCSE.
What did SULLIVAN conclude about the class differences in educational achievement?
Sullivan concluded that while cultural capital accounts for some class differences in achievement, the greater resources and aspirations of middle-class families explain the remainder of the class gap.
According to BOURDIEU, how do working-class children perceive the education system?
Working-class children often see the education system as devaluing their culture and may respond by truanting, leaving school early, or not trying, leading to exam failure.
How are cultural, educational, and economic capital interrelated according to BOURDIEU?
Bourdieu argues that these forms of capital can be converted into one another, enhancing the advantages for those who possess them.
