Download Chapter 6 The Forms of Capital

Chapter 6
The Forms of Capital
“The social world is accumulated
history.”
Normative Belief in Life
Roulette  imaginary universe of perfect
competition or perfect equality of
opportunity
Reality: heredity and acquired properties
 accumulation
Reality of the World
Structure of the distribution of different
types of capital represents the immanent
structure of the social world 
Set of constraints inscribed in the reality
Capital
Three types:
• Economic  money/property
• Cultural capital  knowledge/educational
credentials
• Social capital  networks/connections
Cultural Capital
** notion of cultural capital made it possible to explain
the unequal academic achievement of children from
different social classes
Norm  academic success/failure is an effect of
natural aptitudes
Cultural Capital
** Academic ability/talent is itself the product of an
investment of time and cultural capital
** Scholastic yield from education  cultural capital
invested by family mobilized by Social Capital
Embodied State
External wealth converted into an integral part of the
person  recognized as legitimate competence; as
inherent in the person
** Accumulation of Cultural Capital starts at the outset
only for families endowed with Cultural Capital
Covers the entire period of socialization; specifically
free from time from economic necessity; **
precondition for initial accumulation
Objectified State
Material objects:
• Books
• Writings
• Paintings
• Art
** can be appropriated both symbolically or materially
 obtain profits based on mastery of the object
Institutionalized State
Academic qualifications  certificate of competence
** Performative magic of the power of instituting 
impose recognition
Chance of profit offered specific to types  depend on
scarcity and investment
Social Capital
Network of institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance
and recognition:
•
membership in a group
•
provides members with collectively owned capital
•
credentials that entitles them to credit i.e. family name
•
size of the network s/he can mobilize and the volume of capital
possessed by each
•
group as homogenous as possible
Reproduction  continuous series of exchanges in which recognition
is offered and reoffered
Conversions
• Economic capital is at the root
• Transmitted by family
• Ability to purchase time
• Transmission of Cultural Capital
• Delay entry into the work force
• Prolonged schooling
• Invisible in the process of status attainment
Entitlements
Birth determines transmission of entitlements 
Institutional mechanisms control the official direct
transmission of power and privilege