Addressing Cultural Captial in Economic Equality

[JustBusiness17]

A couple of conversations on the boards have come close to discussing this topic, but not quite (that I'm aware of). I just learned about this term recently, but it definitely needs to be factored into any discussion regarding equality/social mobility.

Cultural capital
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term cultural capital refers to non-financial social assets, for example educational or intellectual, which might promote social mobility beyond economic means.

Cultural capital (le capital culturel) is a sociological concept that has gained widespread popularity since it was first articulated by Pierre Bourdieu. [...] For Bourdieu, capital acts as a social relation within a system of exchange, and the term is extended 'to all the goods material and symbolic, without distinction, that present themselves as rare and worthy of being sought after in a particular social formation (cited in Harker, 1990:13) and cultural capital acts as a social relation within a system of exchange that includes the accumulated cultural knowledge that confers power AND status. [1]

In 'The Forms of Capital' (1986), Bourdieu distinguishes between three types of capital:

Economic capital: command over economic resources (cash, assets).

Social capital: resources based on group membership, relationships, networks of influence and support. Bourdieu defines social capital as "the aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition."

Cultural capital: forms of knowledge, skills, education, and advantages that a person has, which give them a higher status in society. Parents provide their children with cultural capital by transmitting the attitudes and knowledge needed to succeed in the current educational system.

Later he adds symbolic capital (resources available to an individual on the basis of honor, prestige or recognition) to this list.

In my own personal opinion, it's difficult to separate the above forms of capital because none of them are mutually exclusive. Each one has a significant influence on the other and none of them can be considered mutually exclusive. While an individual may have the ability to strengthen their various forms of capital, their dependence on one another can make the process difficult. Therefore, the ability to break out of old (or break into new) social classes is significantly restricted based on factors that are uncontrollable by an individual.

In many respects, I would be inclined to say that cultural capital is the most inescapable of all because it can lead to discrimination long after social and economic capital have been accumulated.


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Just some thoughts on a subject that is somewhat foreign to me on an academic level. If anyone cares to enlighten me, feel free

 

[PAB]

Would it be reasonable to say that in addition, cultural capital provides the new wants and therefore the new needs which effect the economic capital and the relationships hence social capital ?