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Conceptual Diversity of Cultural Capital

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Family Cultural Capital and Student Achievement

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Education ((BRIEFSEDUCAT))

Abstract

This chapter argues for a refined understanding and appreciation of the conceptual richness of the cultural capital construct. To this end, it elaborates on the complexity of the construct and its inextricable association with social fields. The construct sophistication of cultural capital is evident in its properties, namely being present in three states (objectified, institutionalized, and embodied), assuming different meanings beyond the original highbrow cultural consumption as explicated in Bourdieu’s early writings, being represented by a proliferation of indicators in research studies (e.g., home educational and cultural resources, cultural participation, parental involvement, reading habits, parent–child discussions, educational expectations, and parental educational attainment), being produced by individuals who know the rules of the game, and being conceptually coherent by virtue of the embodiment of habitus. The inextricable associations between cultural capital and social fields are underpinned by the need to convert cultural resources to cultural capital, relational value of cultural capital, and the idea of relational stratification.

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  1. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Cheng Yong Tan

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Tan, C.Y. (2020). Conceptual Diversity of Cultural Capital. In: Family Cultural Capital and Student Achievement. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4491-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4491-0_2

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