What Is Cultural Capital and How Does It Impact On Education?

What is Cultural capital and how does it impact on education? At present, we usually know that culture is the civilization of money. So it means the capital of society. It is an individual’s social assets like intellect, style of speech, dress, and others, and Cultural capital works for social development and maintains all academic education. It made the idea different and explained capital power. 

Cultural capital refers to the knowledge, experiences, and cultural awareness that individuals acquire through their upbringing and social background. It impacts education by influencing a student’s ability to navigate and succeed within the educational system. Students with a rich cultural capital, such as exposure to art, literature, travel, and discussions about current events, often have advantages in the classroom.

They may be more comfortable with academic language, have a broader knowledge base, and possess better communication skills. This can lead to higher confidence, participation, and academic achievement.

Cultural capital in education examples includes students’ strategies. It can help a student and make them all progress. We see its impact on education and work to improve students’ studying. Cultural capital always wanted to go through the entire curriculum and give context to build students’ strategies. 

What is cultural capital How does it impact on Education?

Cultural capital pertains to the social and cultural awareness that can improve a student’s style. In the case of sociology, cultural capital involves the social aids of the personal (training, mind, speech attitude, dress style, etc.) that boost standard versatility in a stratified community.

The practice economy includes cultural capital as a social connection (i.e., business system) and social information representing economic well-being and strength. This includes material and representative stocks as a whole, without reputation, which society considers unusual and desirable. 

Pierre Bourdieu and Jean-Claude Passeron wrote this idea in “Social Reproduction and Cultural Reproduction” (1977). Bourdieu created this in his essay “The Forms of Capital” (1985) and his book The State Nobility: Elite Schools in the Field of Power (1996). In the article, Bourdieu describes cultural capital as a personal education (information and scholarly qualifications) that facilitates higher economic well-being in the achievement of society.

Types of cultural capital

Cultural capital can be divided into three types. Such as:

Embodied cultural capital

Embodied capital contains information that is deliberately collected and passively acquired through culture and tradition through socialization. In contrast to property, cultural capital is not contagious but is accepted long. It is presented for the individual’s habits (e.g., character and perspective), which becomes more open to comparative social influences.

Objectified cultural capital

Objectified cultural capital includes the individual’s property (e.g., work of art, practical instruments, etc.) that can approach financial gain (buying-selling) and symbolically transfer cultural capital ownership. However, the thing is that while having a work of art, the individual can adequately calculate the previous cultural capital and deal technically (realizing its social importance) with the long-term organization.

Cultural capital is not approached with proposals made by the artisan for unplanned and autonomous reasons when the seller reveals the significance of fine artwork.

Institutional- cultural capital

Institutional-cultural capital includes the conventional recognition of a foundation, usually a scholar’s certificate or expert skills. The most social work of institutional capital is the job market (a task), where it allows the individual to describe different cultural capitals as individual and quantitative estimates.

Institutional recognition works with converting social capital into financial capital, fulfilling it as a functional system through which sellers can present their cultural capital to the buyer. 

Another types of Cultural Capital

While Pierre Bourdieu laid the groundwork with embodied, objectified, and institutionalized forms of cultural capital, the cultural landscape has evolved. Let’s venture beyond the traditional and explore:

1. Technical Capital

In our tech-driven world, coding skills, data literacy, and understanding of digital tools become valuable assets. Mastering these grants access to information, networks, and even job opportunities.

2. Emotional Capital

The ability to understand and manage emotions, navigate social interactions, and build meaningful relationships is crucial. It fosters empathy, resilience, and effective communication, all vital for personal and professional success.

3. National Capital

Knowledge of your own national history, culture, and political landscape empowers you to engage in informed discussions, participate in civic life, and contribute to national discourse.

4. Subcultural Capital

Belonging to specific communities, from fandoms to artistic groups, comes with its own set of knowledge, skills, and values. This capital enables participation within that subculture and fosters a sense of identity and belonging.

5. Global Capital

Understanding different cultures, languages, and perspectives on a global scale is increasingly important. This capital allows you to navigate a diverse world, collaborate effectively, and contribute to intercultural understanding.

6. Environmental Capital

Awareness of ecological issues, sustainable practices, and responsible interactions with the environment becomes a valuable form of capital. It empowers individuals to advocate for change and contribute to a healthier planet.

7. Critical Capital

The ability to think critically, question assumptions, and analyze information from various perspectives is essential for navigating the complexity of the modern world. This capital equips individuals to make informed decisions and challenge the status quo.

8. Narrative Capital

The ability to craft compelling stories, communicate effectively, and engage audiences through storytelling becomes increasingly valuable. This capital empowers individuals to share their experiences, connect with others, and influence perspectives.

Remember to know:

  • These forms of capital are not static and can overlap and interact in complex ways.
  • Access to different forms of capital varies depending on individuals’ backgrounds, and social contexts.
  • Recognizing and valuing diverse forms of capital promotes social mobility, inclusion, and understanding in a complex and interconnected world.

You may read also The American High School System.

What are examples of cultural capital?

The cultural capital grows the personality of a person more than the education. There are vast examples of cultural riches throughout the world. Some of these are Nelson Mandela, Caron Butler, DJ Mbenga, Allen Iverson, and many other NBA stars. People know them because of their activities, not for their educational status.

They pass the critical moments in their life but finally, they gain success and become the hero of real life. Like them, there are many additional people in the world.

What is cultural capital in education?

From the definition, we know that Cultural capital is the knowledge, attitude, and skill connected with the dominant culture. It is said that cultural capital develops in children of middle-class families naturally(they learn it from the family), and it is essential.

So what will happen to other children other than the middle class? How will they know it? This cultural capital is practiced in the early stage of students to gain it from the beginning and apply it throughout their lives. Here, the children of all classes get equal opportunity to learn this. They get a chance to learn about traditional & cultural lifestyles, habits, and skills. A child gets proper knowledge of education when both teachers and Parents’ Role in the Education of Their Child

How does it impact education- 

We examine two processes. Through this, cultural capital can represent educational achievement.

A. Teachers are misinterpreting cultural capital as a sign of academic brilliance. 

B. Children’s cultural capital, which increases educational action. 

We have ECLS-K and ECLS-K from the USA. Let’s analyze the data of 2011. And let’s promote three factors of children’s cultural capital. Participate in performing arts, reading interests, and participating in athletics and clubs. 

You can see that:

  1. Culture, let’s consider those three aspects of capital. None of this affects the assessment of children’s educational skills.
  2. Attention in reading has a noticeable impact on educational achievement.
  3. The direct impact of skimming concerns educational success. 

Our results deliver tiny consent for this assumption. Cultural capital works through indications about academic brightness. Instead, they imply that cultural capital enhances children’s skills. We talk about the theoretical expressions of the research.

Last Word

What is cultural capital, and how does it work? You read the full article and have a clear idea about it. In this society, culture impacts the phrase on the lips. They make many educational professionals that improve all sectors and give a better experience level. I expected that you have got your effected data on What Is Cultural Capital and How does it impact on Education.

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