Cultural Capital in Literature & Literary Theory

Cultural Capital: Meanings and Concept

Cultural Capital: Meanings	Cultural Capital: Concepts
– Symbolic Resources: Cultural knowledge, skills, and education that confer social status.	– High Culture vs. Popular Culture: Unequal access to and valuation of different cultural forms.
– Material Resources: Tangible assets such as property, art, or artifacts indicating cultural affiliation.	– Reproduction of Social Inequality: Cultural capital can perpetuate existing social hierarchies.
– Social Status Indicator: Signifies one’s belonging to a particular social or cultural group.	– Cultural Repertoire: Diverse cultural experiences and knowledge that contribute to cultural capital.
– Educational Attainment: Higher education often equated with greater cultural capital.	– Cultural Mobility: The ability to navigate and access different cultural contexts.
– Cultural Competence: Ability to engage effectively in culturally rich environments.	– Institutionalized vs. Embodied Capital: Distinction between formal education and internalized cultural knowledge.
– Intergenerational Transmission: Passed down through generations, influencing family dynamics.	– Cultural Homogenization: The danger of it contributing to the standardization of cultural knowledge.

Cultural Capital: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Cultural capital, a theoretical concept introduced by Pierre Bourdieu, encompasses the cultural knowledge, skills, and education possessed by individuals that confer social distinction and influence.

It serves as a symbolic and material resource, reflecting one’s cultural affiliation and social status. The concept is integral to understanding how cultural factors contribute to the reproduction of social inequalities and the dynamics of cultural mobility within societal structures.

Cultural Capital: Theorists, Works and Argument

Pierre Bourdieu:

• Significance: Originator of the concept.
• Key Works:
  • Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste (1979).
  • The Forms of Capital (1986).

Paul DiMaggio:

• Significance: Expanded on Bourdieu’s ideas, particularly exploring its role in educational stratification.
• Key Work:
  • Cultural Capital and School Success: The Impact of Status Culture Participation on the Grades of U.S. High School Students (1982).

Argument:

• The idea, as conceptualized by Bourdieu and further developed by DiMaggio, asserts that individuals possess a form of capital extending beyond economic resources.
• This, encompassing knowledge, skills, and educational background, is instrumental in shaping social distinctions and influencing access to educational and economic opportunities.
• Bourdieu’s emphasis on it as a mechanism for the reproduction of social inequality underscores its pivotal role in understanding how cultural factors contribute to and perpetuate existing societal hierarchies.

Cultural Capital: Major Characteristics

1. Symbolic and Material Elements:
   • It encompasses both symbolic components, such as knowledge and language, and material elements, including artifacts and credentials.
2. Social Distinction and Status:
   • It serves as a means of social distinction, signaling one’s cultural affiliation and contributing to one’s social status within a given society.
3. Educational Attainment:
   • Educational achievements and qualifications are central to it, influencing an individual’s cultural competence and perceived societal value.
4. Reproduction of Social Inequality:
   • It plays a role in the reproduction of social hierarchies by influencing access to opportunities and resources based on cultural background.
5. Forms of Capital:
   • As articulated by Pierre Bourdieu, it is part of a broader framework that includes economic and social capital, interacting to shape an individual’s position in society.
6. Cultural Repertoire:
   • It encompasses a diverse range of cultural experiences, practices, and knowledge that individuals accumulate over time, contributing to their cultural capital.
7. High Culture vs. Popular Culture:
   • Unequal access to and valuation of different cultural forms contribute to the distinctions within it, reflecting power dynamics and societal preferences.
8. Embodied and Objectified Capital:
   • Bourdieu distinguishes between embodied it (internalized skills and knowledge) and objectified shape(tangible assets such as books or art), highlighting different forms of cultural acquisition.
9. Cultural Mobility:
   • The possession of it enables individuals to navigate and adapt to diverse cultural contexts, facilitating social mobility and integration.
10. Institutionalized Cultural Capital:
    • The formal recognition of it within educational and institutional systems, influencing how society values and rewards cultural knowledge and skills.

Cultural Capital: Relevance in Literary Theories

Relevance in Literary Theories	Key Aspects
Reader Response Theory	– It shapes readers’ interpretations of texts based on their background knowledge and cultural context.
Postcolonial Literary Theory	– Examines how such capital, often tied to colonial legacies, influences the portrayal and reception of literature from colonized regions.
Feminist Literary Criticism	– Considers how gendered cultural capitals affect the production, reception, and interpretation of literature, particularly in relation to women’s experiences.
Marxist Literary Criticism	– Explores the role of capital in reinforcing or challenging class structures, as seen in literature’s representation of societal divisions.
Critical Race Theory	– Analyzes how capital intersects with race, influencing the portrayal of characters and themes in literature and addressing power dynamics.
Queer Theory	– Investigates the impact of capital on the representation of LGBTQ+ identities in literature, considering how societal norms shape narratives.
Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism	– Considers how capital, as part of an individual’s upbringing, influences the subconscious elements and archetypes present in literary works.
New Historicism	– Examines how it, as a product of historical context, shapes the creation and reception of literary texts within specific time periods.
Literary Canon Debates	– It plays a crucial role in discussions about which works are included in the literary canon, reflecting societal biases and preferences.
Global Literary Studies	– Considers how it, tied to different regions and societies, influences the interpretation and reception of literature on a global scale.

In literary theories, it is a multifaceted concept that intersects with various critical approaches, influencing the creation, interpretation, and reception of literary works.

Cultural Capital: Application in Critiques

Novel	Application of Cultural Capital
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee	– Racial Dynamics: Evaluate how characters like Atticus Finch, possessing legal and educational cultural capitals, challenge racial prejudices. Scout’s learning journey also reflects the transmission of cultural values.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe	– Cultural Clash: Examine how Achebe portrays cultural capitals within Igbo society and its transformation under colonial influence. Assess the impact on characters like Okonkwo and the community’s traditional values.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen	– Class Distinctions: Explore the characters’ possession of cultural capitals, including social manners and education, in the context of Regency-era England. Analyze how these factors shape relationships and contribute to societal critiques.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri	– Identity and Generational Shifts: Investigate the clash of cultural capitals between Indian heritage and American society, reflecting on Gogol’s struggle with identity. Consider how Lahiri explores the cultural nuances in the context of generational changes.

In these novels, a nuanced analysis of this concept reveals its role in shaping characters’ identities, influencing societal dynamics, and contributing to the broader themes explored by the authors.

Cultural Capital: Relevant Terms

1. Symbolic Capital: Prestige tied to cultural elements.
2. Bourdieu’s Forms of Capital: Framework with cultural, economic, and social capital.
3. Cultural Repertoire: Range of cultural experiences and knowledge.
4. Embodied Cultural Capital: Internalized cultural knowledge and skills.
5. Objectified Cultural Capital: Tangible assets representing cultural status.
6. Cultural Homogenization: Standardization, reducing cultural diversity.
7. Cultural Omnivore: Appreciates a broad cultural range.
8. Habitus: Ingrained habits from social context.
9. Cultural Mobility: Adapting to diverse cultural contexts.
10. Institutionalized Cultural Capital: Formal recognition in education, shaping societal values.

Cultural Capital: Suggested Readings

1. Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. Harvard University Press, 1984.
2. Bourdieu, Pierre. “The Forms of Capital.” In Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, edited by John G. Richardson, Greenwood, 1986, pp. 241-258.
3. DiMaggio, Paul. “Cultural Capital and School Success: The Impact of Status Culture Participation on the Grades of U.S. High School Students.” American Sociological Review, vol. 47, no. 2, 1982, pp. 189-201.
4. Lamont, Michèle, and Annette Lareau (eds.). Cultural Capital: Allusions, Gaps and Glissandos in Recent Theoretical Developments. Sociological Theory, vol. 6, no. 2, 1988, pp. 153-168.
5. Halle, David. Inside Culture: Art and Class in the American Home. University of Chicago Press, 1993.
6. Swartz, David. Culture and Power: The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. University of Chicago Press, 1997.
7. Bennett, Tony, et al. Culture, Class, Distinction. Routledge, 2009.
8. Lamont, Michèle. The Dignity of Working Men: Morality and the Boundaries of Race, Class, and Immigration. Harvard University Press, 2000.