Cultural Capital

Note: Not something I wrote for Prou but am sharing anyway but it is LONG.

Our society deems hard work and dedication as the key to being successful in our academic and later life, but this is a half truth that does not reveal that some students are at a distinct advantage over others in their academic lives. Certain students are at an advantage because they have the benefit of knowledge of the specific arts, culture and history valued by society, called cultural capital which puts them ahead of others. There is an advantage for students who have this capital, while those without them have to work harder to be on the same level and fight for the same opportunities. People today often think of ideals such as equality and equal opportunity applying to everyone and everything in this land, yet this is not the case. The opportunities and advantages for someone who has the right knowledge valued by dominant society are numerous compared to someone who does not have this knowledge because of his or her cultural background and often gets left behind in the race for academic achievement.

The non believers in the power of cultural capital state their case through painting a picture of this country as the “Golden Land of Equal Opportunities” that need to be seized by people. We are often reminded by them of the fact that quality work and effort gets rewarded in America whether it is in schools or in work places especially after the civil rights victories in the 1960s. In schools, these people believe that all students have an equal chance of getting the most of their schooling because of the free public education system. Teachers, they believe, are objective in grading. For them, America is the ultimate example of a place where your background, race, class and ethnicity do not determine your destiny. Nonetheless, these people forget that in numerous ways, students with valuable knowledge of certain things are the advantaged in this society. The “playing field” is not level, contrary to what these proponents of American democracy and meritocracy would like us to believe.

The case made by people who think that quality work and dedication is the key to success is defeated when we see that the odds are against those who are not rich in money or with the right back ground and knowledge. Students that come from families that have educated them on the dominant culture and its values are already prepared to take on the world with this knowledge while those who do not come from this back ground suffer. Those who thrive in schools and classrooms have been reared to take on each challenge; they can answer questions about the Renaissance period, discuss the literary works of renowned American authors such as Emerson and Faulkner, or talk about central issues that plague the society. These students often become favorites of the teachers, who are not as objective as we would like to think. Others such as me, who come from backgrounds that lack the knowledge and upbringing of the dominant culture, are unable to take part in classroom discussions and charm the teachers. We know about our own parents’ cultural heritages, arts and histories of lands that no longer mean anything to us and have no value in this society.

Most of the time, the students with the cultural capital come from the dominant racial or economic class which means that the most disadvantaged in our society are the poor and the minority students. It is evident throughout our academic and subsequent life that there is a need to give the poor and minorities the same chances and opportunities as others. Through offering special programs which cater to the needs of students who are without the cultural capital, society makes an effort to give them valuable knowledge of arts, culture, history, and science that can help them have equal opportunities in their academic lives. In addition to programs in the summer and after school that try to give minority students the chance to excel, the government grants scholarships and implements affirmative action laws as an effort to level the playing field for the disadvantaged.

In my own experience, I have witnessed the advantage of cultural capital. There were those in my school who had the fortune of coming from a back ground that focused on individuals being well rounded and cultured in the arts and sciences of the world. These students had the skills of debate and discussion on any topic. They played an instrument, sang in the choir and participated in programs outside of the school. These students knew what society demanded for success, and they thrived because of this knowledge. For the rest of us, most of the students, the focus was more on curriculum education and getting the work done. Our parents were not able to demonstrate what puts people ahead in this competitive society. The result for most of the students in my school was to settle for average colleges and universities whereas they could have been admitted to top notch schools with the knowledge of valuable things needed to get ahead.

It is evident that we live in a society that will always hold certain things and people higher in respect to others. We should be able to have schools that try to give all students the knowledge that society holds near and dear yet this is not the case. Some students have the distinct advantage in their academic life of coming from back grounds that have taught them of important things to know to get ahead in this society. Students that lack this knowledge because of their cultural back ground and upbringing often suffer and struggle. Life is a constant battle and most of the time those that win have the right ammunition meaning the right knowledge through cultural capital.