As a concept, cultural capital relates to the inherent value assigned to cultural knowledge and skills. In both education and life, cultural capital is thought to bring a range of advantages.
A term that has been around for decades, cultural capital was pioneered by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Widely used by sociologists, economists and educators, the theory suggests that people with greater cultural experiences are more likely to succeed in life. This holds true for education, where it is seen as a factor in determining educational achievement and opportunities.
Bourdieu's Cultural Capital
Bourdieu's theory proposes that, much like financial capital, cultural capital can be accumulated and invested. According to Bourdieu, it can be widely categorised into three forms: embodied, objectified and institutionalised.- Embodied cultural capital. The cultural knowledge, skills and experiences that individuals have internalised and form part of their dispositions, habits and ways of thinking.
- Objectified cultural capital. The tangible forms that individuals can acquire and possess, such as books, artworks and other cultural objects.
- Institutionalised cultural capital. The cultural capital recognised and valued by institutions, such as schools and universities, that award degrees and qualifications.
The Relevance of Cultural Capital to Education
While the concept has been around for a long time, it only recently made it into the Ofsted agenda. The Ofsted Framework (2019) states: “As part of making the judgement about the quality of education, inspectors will consider the extent to which schools are equipping pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.” The framework describes cultural capital as “the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement." The relevance to education lies in its impact on educational opportunities and outcomes. We can see cultural capital as the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours and skills that children can draw upon to be successful in their future lives, the world of work and society in general. Individuals who possess more significant capital are more likely to access better educational resources and benefit from them. Schools can offset some of this disparity by building students’ aspirations and providing access to diverse experiences.