cultural capital and educational attainment
Abstract
Emerging from Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, many sociologists found a relation between cultural capital and Habitus, the effect they have on children’s educational attainment, and how it’s brought about from class differences in societies. Although Bourdieu focuses mainly on the importance of class and class cultures in impeding children’s negotiation of process of schooling (Lareau 1987), his findings portray how cultural resources can be used to perpetuate their position of privilege and power (Swartz 1997: 199).
Introduction
The subject matter of this paper revolves around Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, which states that children from upper class families are able and privileged in the educational system, because their families are able and can afford to enrich them with cultural knowledge, language and reading skills, that not only prepare them for the schooling system, but also make them more valued in a classroom (Dumais 2006:84). The paper attempts to give an insight on the linkages between cultural capital, achievements in academics, and family background. In addition, the paper will compare Canada and the United Arab Emirates and explore the importance of cultural capital on a global scale. Social class affects educational attainment due to cultural capital differences and countries that allow for less creativity in their school system exacerbate this effect.
What is Cultural Capital?
It is a concept of Bourdieu, where non-financial assets (attitudes, etiquette, education, skills, etc.) that give a person advantages to attain higher status in society. According to Bourdieu (1997:49), cultural capital is acquired at birth and accumulates throughout our life span. It has three types: embodied in the mind and body, institutionalized in forms such as education, behaviors, attitudes, preferences, goods and credentials (Lamont and Lareau 1988), and objectified (books, paintings, etc.).
Pierre Bourdieu argued that culture adds to
Emerging from Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, many sociologists found a relation between cultural capital and Habitus, the effect they have on children’s educational attainment, and how it’s brought about from class differences in societies. Although Bourdieu focuses mainly on the importance of class and class cultures in impeding children’s negotiation of process of schooling (Lareau 1987), his findings portray how cultural resources can be used to perpetuate their position of privilege and power (Swartz 1997: 199).
Introduction
The subject matter of this paper revolves around Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, which states that children from upper class families are able and privileged in the educational system, because their families are able and can afford to enrich them with cultural knowledge, language and reading skills, that not only prepare them for the schooling system, but also make them more valued in a classroom (Dumais 2006:84). The paper attempts to give an insight on the linkages between cultural capital, achievements in academics, and family background. In addition, the paper will compare Canada and the United Arab Emirates and explore the importance of cultural capital on a global scale. Social class affects educational attainment due to cultural capital differences and countries that allow for less creativity in their school system exacerbate this effect.
What is Cultural Capital?
It is a concept of Bourdieu, where non-financial assets (attitudes, etiquette, education, skills, etc.) that give a person advantages to attain higher status in society. According to Bourdieu (1997:49), cultural capital is acquired at birth and accumulates throughout our life span. It has three types: embodied in the mind and body, institutionalized in forms such as education, behaviors, attitudes, preferences, goods and credentials (Lamont and Lareau 1988), and objectified (books, paintings, etc.).
Pierre Bourdieu argued that culture adds to