Economic Capital
What is economic capital?
Economic capital is the resources a person has such as money, property, etc. (what you have).
What is symbolic capital?
Symbolic capital is what a person possesses that is valued by society (ex. racial identity).
What is cultural capital?
Cultural capital is the knowledge a person has for a given field/area (what you know).
What is social capital?
Social capital is the personal connections a person has (who you know).
What is tracking?
A method used in schools that places students in different classes/groups based on their assessed 'intellectual abilities'.
Provide an example of economic capital
Money, property, etc.
Yes, ability status could be considered symbolic capital because a student's ability status influences how they navigate our educational system.
What is objectified cultural capital?
This type of cultural capital can be converted into real property or money and consists of things like books, instruments, or machines.
Provide an example where a student has social capital
A student who is on a committee that includes school staff members (allows them to build a personal connection with staff members).
What is one negative consequence of tracking in schools?
Lower tracks may have fewer resources
Makes it difficult for lower-tracked students to catch up to their peers
This may result in low self-esteem or a lack of interest in education for lower-tracked student
How might a family's income level affect their child's education?
Higher-income could allow one to afford housing in a better neighborhood (better public schools), it could buy them into private schools, and it could also allow them access to a college education.
Provide an example of symbolic capital and how it would affect a student's educational experiences
Example: Gender
Effect: A school counselor might pressure a female student to take an art class while recommending a male student take a shop class.
Explain culture capital through the lens of social reproduction
- Interactions were read as “engaged or disruptive, appropriate or troublemaking”
- Parents’ education, language skills, academic skills (e.g) In Lewis article, Latina mother explained she could not speak proficient English and thus couldn't help her children with homework.
The reading mentioned an example of white parents lying on applications about their child's race because they knew that the schools wanted to admit more students of color.
Why might someone be in support of tracking in schools?
They may believe teaching is easier when all students meet the same baseline of ability.
Considering what we learned in previous weeks, provide one example of a method that might lessen the disparity of economic capital
Voucher programs, tax-credit scholarships, a general restructuring of how we fund public schools, etc.
What is institutionalized cultural capital?
Recognized by institutions, this form of cultural capital can include qualifications like degrees or honors.
Provide two examples of educational stakeholders whose statuses can be influenced by social capital, and how are they influenced?
Parents - have better information on what schools are the best or how to apply to other schools within their district
Students - have different abilities to access letters of recommendation
What is the "Old Wa-Hi Way" and what was a harmful effect of it?
Tracking students based on standardized test scores and anecdotal reports from teachers.
Harmful effect: Many students who entered Wa-Hi as first-years reading two or more levels below ninth grade didn’t leave foundations classes until they were seniors.
Lamont and Lareau described cultural capital as the habit of wine. Can you explain Attitudes, Formal knowledge, Preferences, and Possessions?
Attitudes: Valuing specific knowledge, like discerning good wines.
Formal knowledge: The actual understanding of subjects, like wine evaluation.
Preferences: Understanding societal norms, such as the tastefulness of displaying wine consumption.
Possessions: Owning cultural items, like a wine cellar.
What is one example of how the "Wa-Hi Way" promoted equity rather than tracking?
They introduced 'flex periods' to allow students to play a deciding role in their education.