The Role of Cultural Capital in Higher Education Access and Institutional Choice
Keywords:
cultural capital, educational decisions, educational inequality, school achievement
Abstract
This paper aims to explore social inequalities in school achievement and educational decision-making of the final-year students of secondary schools in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, Croatia (N = 534). The theoretical framework of the paper was Bourdieu’s theory of cultural and social reproduction (1977a). The main objectives were an analysis of the association between the students’ cultural capital and their school achievement and analyses of the predictive power of the cultural capital theory in the context of educational decisions in the transition to tertiary education. In the analysis of school achievement, sequential multiple regression analysis was used, while in the analyses of educational decisions
logistic regression analyses were performed (binary and multinomial logistic regression). The results indicated that cultural capital had statistically significant correlation with school performance. Among the cultural capital indicators, statistically significant predictors of the probability of the intention to enrol into vocational higher education were the material dimension of cultural capital and naturalness of higher education aspirations of students. For the prediction of the probability of intention to enrol in university, significant predictors were embodied cultural capital, the naturalness of higher education aspirations of students, and father’s educational level. The study results on a selected sample of graduates tend
to support Bourdieu’s theory of cultural reproduction through education.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Babarović, T., BuruÅ¡ić, J., & Å akić, M. (2009). UspjeÅ¡nost predviÄ‘anja obrazovnih postignuća uÄenika osnovnih Å¡kola Republike Hrvatske [Prediction of Educational Achievements of Primary School Pupils in the Republic of Croatia]. DruÅ¡tvena istraživanja, 18(4–5/102–103), 673–95.
Baranović, B. (2015). Razvoj i socijalna dimenzija visokog obrazovanja u Hrvatskoj [Development and Social Dimension of Higher Education in Croatia]. In B. Baranović (Ed.), Koji srednjoškolci namjeravaju studirati? Pristup visokom obrazovanju i odabir studija [Who Plans to Study? - Higher Education Access and Course Choice] (pp. 15–41). Zagreb: Institut za društvena istraživanja u Zagrebu.
Barone, C. (2006). Cultural Capital, Ambition and the Explanation of Inequalities in Learning Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis. Sociology – the Journal of the British Sociological Association, 40(6), 1039–1058.
Bourdieu, P. (1973). Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduction. In R. Brown (Ed.), Knowledge, Education, and Cultural Change (pp. 71–84). London: Tavistock.
Bourdieu P. (1977a). Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduction. In J. Karabel & A. H. Halsey (Eds.), Power and Ideology in Education (pp. 487–511). New York: Oxford University Press.
Bourdieu P. (1977b). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. London: Routledge.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The Forms of Capital, 1997 (1986). In J. E. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory of Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241–258). New York: Greenword Press.
Bourdieu, P. (1989). Social Space and Symbolic Power. Sociological Theory, 7(1), 14–25.
Bourdieu, P. (1990). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Burušić, J., Babarović, T., & Marković, N. (2010). Koliko daleko padaju jabuke od stabla? Odnos obrazovnih postignuća djece i obrazovne razine njihovih roditelja [How Far Does the Apple Fall from the Tree? The Relationship between Childrens Educational Achievement and the Educational Level of their Parents]. Društvena istraživanja, 19(4–5/108–109), 709–730.
Croatian Bureau of Statistics - Census (2011). Retrieved 20. 1. 2015 from www.dzs.hr.
De Graaf, N. D., De Graaf, P. M., & Kraaykamp, G. (2000). Parental Cultural Capital and Educational Attainment in the Netherlands: A Refinement of the Cultural Capital Perspective. Sociology of Education, 73(2), 92–111.
De Graaf, P. M. (1986). The Impact of Financial and Cultural Resources on Educational Attainment in the Netherlands. Sociology of Education 59(4), 237–246.
DiMaggio, P. (1982). Cultural Capital and School Success: The Impact of Status Culture Participation on the Grades of U.S. High School Students. American Sociological Review, 47(2), 189–201.
Doolan, K. (2009). ‘My Dad Studied Here Too’: Social Inequalities and Educational (Dis)advantage in a Croatian Higher Education Setting (Doctoral dissertation). University of Cambridge.
Downey, D. B. (1995). When Bigger is not Better: Family Size, Parental Resources, and Children’s Educational Performance. American Sociological Review 60(5), 746–759.
Dumais, S. A. (2006). Early Childhood Cultural Capital, Parental Habitus, and Teachers’ Perceptions. Poetics, 34(1), 83–107.
Erikson, R., Goldthorpe, J. H., Jackson, M., Yaish, M., & Cox, D. R. (2005). On class differentials in educational attainment. Retrieved 22. 1. 2015 from http://www.pnas.org/content/102/27/9730.full.
Erikson, R. (2007). Social Selection in Stockholm Schools: Primary and Secondary Effects on the Transition to Upper Secondary Education. In S. Scherer, R. Pollak, G. Otte & M. Gangl (Eds.), From Origin to Destination: Trends And Mechanisms In Social Stratification Research (pp. 35–76). Frankfurt: Campus Verlag.
Eurostat (2013). Intergenerational transmission of disadvantage statistics. Retrieved 15. 1. 2015 from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Intergenerational_transmission_of_disadvantage_statistics.
Flere, S., TavÄar Krajnc, M., KlanjÅ¡ek, R., Musil, B., & KirbiÅ¡, A. (2010). Cultural Capital and Intellectual Ability as Predictors of Scholastic Achievement: a Study of Slovenian Secondary School Students. British Journal of Sociology of Education 31(1), 47–58.
Goldthorpe, J. H. (2007). Cultural Capital: Some Critical Observations. Sociology Working Papers. University of Oxford. Retrieved 21. 5. 2014 from http://www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/materials/papers/swp07_07.pdf.
Gregurović, M., & Kuti, S. (2010). UÄinak socioekonomskog statusa na obrazovno postignuće uÄenika: Primjer PISA istraživanja, Hrvatska 2006 [Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Students’ Educational Achievement: The Example of Pisa Study, Croatia 2006]. Revija za socijalnu politiku, (2), 179–96.
Guri-Rosenblit, S, Sebkova H., & Teichler U. (2007). Massification and Diversity of Higher Education Systems: Interplay of Complex Dimensions. Retrieved 10. 11. 2014 from http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/files/53906/11858770845Massification_diversification.pdf/Massification_diversification.pdf.
Jæger, M. M. (2009). Equal Access but Unequal Outcomes: Cultural Capital and Educational Choice in a Meritocratic Society. Social Forces 87(4), 1943–1971.
Jæger, M. M. (2011). A Dynamic Model of Cultural Reproduction. Retrieved 20. 5. 2015 from http://www.sofi.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.65120.1323949644!/Mads_Meier_Jaeger_20111208.pdf.
Jokić, B., & Ristić Dedić, Z. (2010). Razlike u Å¡kolskom uspjehu uÄenika trećih i sedmih razreda osnovnih Å¡kola u Republici Hrvatskoj s obzirom na spol uÄenika i obrazovanje roditelja: populacijska perspektiva [Differences in Educational Attainment of Third and Seventh Grade Pupils in Croatia with Respect to Gender and Parents’ Educational Level: A Population Perspective]. Revija za socijalnu politiku, 17(3), 345–362.
Kalmijn, M., & Kraaykamp, G. (1996). Race, Cultural Capital, and Schooling: An Analysis of Trends in the United States. Sociology of education, 69(1), 22–34.
Karabel, J., & Halsey, A. H. (Ed.) (1977). Power and Ideology in Education. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kingston, P. W. (2001). The Unfulfilled Promise of Cultural Capital Theory. Sociology of Education 74(Extra Issue), 88–99.
Lareau, A., & Horvat, E. M. (1999). Moments of Social Inclusion and Exclusion. Sociology of Education, 72, 37–53.
Lareau, A., & Weininger, E. B. (2003). Cultural Capital in Educational Research: A Critical Assessment. Theory and Society 32(5/6), 567–606.
Matković, T. (2010). Obrazovanje roditelja, materijalni status i rano napuštanje školovanja u Hrvatskoj: trendovi u proteklom desetljeću [Parental Education, Income Level and Early School Leaving in Croatia: Trends of the Last Decade]. Društvena istraživanja, 19(4–5/108 –109), 643–667.
OECD (2010). A Family Affair: Intergenerational Social Mobility across OECD Countries. Retrieved 11. 3. 2014 from http://www.oecd.org/tax/public-finance/chapter%205%20gfg%202010.pdf.
Puzić, S., Gregurović, M., & Košutić, I. (2016). Cultural Capital – A Shift in Perspective: An Analysis of PISA 2009 Data for Croatia. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(7), 1056–1076.
Puzić, S., Doolan, K., & Dolenec, D. (2006). Socijalna dimenzija ‘Bolonjskog procesa’ i (ne)jednakost šansi za visoko obrazovanje: neka hrvatska iskustva [Social Dimension of the Bologna Process and (Un)Equality of Chances of Getting High Education: Some Croatian Experiences]. Sociologija sela, 44(172–173/2–3), 243–60.
Strategy of Science, Education and Technology (2014). Retrieved 10. 2. 2015 from http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2014_10_124_2364.html.
Sullivan, A. (2000). Cultural Capital, Rational Choice, and Educational Inequalities (Doctoral Dissertation). Oxford: Oxford University.
Swartz, D. (1997). Culture and Power. The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Teachman, J. D. (1987). Family Background, Educational Resources and Educational Attainment. American Sociological Review, 52(4), 548–557.
Tramonte, L., & Willms, J. D. (2010). Cultural capital and its effects on education outcome. Economics of Education Review, 29(2), 200–213.
Trow, M. (1974). Problems in the Transition from Elite to Mass Higher Education. Carnegie Commission on Higher Education Berkeley, Berkeley, California. Retrieved 15. 7. 2014 from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED091983.pdf.
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights, United Nations (1948). Retrieved 15. 7. 2014 from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html.
Van de Werfhorst, H. G., Sullivan, A., & Cheung S.Y. (2003). Social class, ability and choice of subject in secondary and tertiary education in Britain. British Educational Research Journal 29(1), 41–62.
Weber, M. (1968). Economy and Society. New York: Bedminster Press.
Baranović, B. (2015). Razvoj i socijalna dimenzija visokog obrazovanja u Hrvatskoj [Development and Social Dimension of Higher Education in Croatia]. In B. Baranović (Ed.), Koji srednjoškolci namjeravaju studirati? Pristup visokom obrazovanju i odabir studija [Who Plans to Study? - Higher Education Access and Course Choice] (pp. 15–41). Zagreb: Institut za društvena istraživanja u Zagrebu.
Barone, C. (2006). Cultural Capital, Ambition and the Explanation of Inequalities in Learning Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis. Sociology – the Journal of the British Sociological Association, 40(6), 1039–1058.
Bourdieu, P. (1973). Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduction. In R. Brown (Ed.), Knowledge, Education, and Cultural Change (pp. 71–84). London: Tavistock.
Bourdieu P. (1977a). Cultural Reproduction and Social Reproduction. In J. Karabel & A. H. Halsey (Eds.), Power and Ideology in Education (pp. 487–511). New York: Oxford University Press.
Bourdieu P. (1977b). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. London: Routledge.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The Forms of Capital, 1997 (1986). In J. E. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory of Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241–258). New York: Greenword Press.
Bourdieu, P. (1989). Social Space and Symbolic Power. Sociological Theory, 7(1), 14–25.
Bourdieu, P. (1990). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Burušić, J., Babarović, T., & Marković, N. (2010). Koliko daleko padaju jabuke od stabla? Odnos obrazovnih postignuća djece i obrazovne razine njihovih roditelja [How Far Does the Apple Fall from the Tree? The Relationship between Childrens Educational Achievement and the Educational Level of their Parents]. Društvena istraživanja, 19(4–5/108–109), 709–730.
Croatian Bureau of Statistics - Census (2011). Retrieved 20. 1. 2015 from www.dzs.hr.
De Graaf, N. D., De Graaf, P. M., & Kraaykamp, G. (2000). Parental Cultural Capital and Educational Attainment in the Netherlands: A Refinement of the Cultural Capital Perspective. Sociology of Education, 73(2), 92–111.
De Graaf, P. M. (1986). The Impact of Financial and Cultural Resources on Educational Attainment in the Netherlands. Sociology of Education 59(4), 237–246.
DiMaggio, P. (1982). Cultural Capital and School Success: The Impact of Status Culture Participation on the Grades of U.S. High School Students. American Sociological Review, 47(2), 189–201.
Doolan, K. (2009). ‘My Dad Studied Here Too’: Social Inequalities and Educational (Dis)advantage in a Croatian Higher Education Setting (Doctoral dissertation). University of Cambridge.
Downey, D. B. (1995). When Bigger is not Better: Family Size, Parental Resources, and Children’s Educational Performance. American Sociological Review 60(5), 746–759.
Dumais, S. A. (2006). Early Childhood Cultural Capital, Parental Habitus, and Teachers’ Perceptions. Poetics, 34(1), 83–107.
Erikson, R., Goldthorpe, J. H., Jackson, M., Yaish, M., & Cox, D. R. (2005). On class differentials in educational attainment. Retrieved 22. 1. 2015 from http://www.pnas.org/content/102/27/9730.full.
Erikson, R. (2007). Social Selection in Stockholm Schools: Primary and Secondary Effects on the Transition to Upper Secondary Education. In S. Scherer, R. Pollak, G. Otte & M. Gangl (Eds.), From Origin to Destination: Trends And Mechanisms In Social Stratification Research (pp. 35–76). Frankfurt: Campus Verlag.
Eurostat (2013). Intergenerational transmission of disadvantage statistics. Retrieved 15. 1. 2015 from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Intergenerational_transmission_of_disadvantage_statistics.
Flere, S., TavÄar Krajnc, M., KlanjÅ¡ek, R., Musil, B., & KirbiÅ¡, A. (2010). Cultural Capital and Intellectual Ability as Predictors of Scholastic Achievement: a Study of Slovenian Secondary School Students. British Journal of Sociology of Education 31(1), 47–58.
Goldthorpe, J. H. (2007). Cultural Capital: Some Critical Observations. Sociology Working Papers. University of Oxford. Retrieved 21. 5. 2014 from http://www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/materials/papers/swp07_07.pdf.
Gregurović, M., & Kuti, S. (2010). UÄinak socioekonomskog statusa na obrazovno postignuće uÄenika: Primjer PISA istraživanja, Hrvatska 2006 [Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Students’ Educational Achievement: The Example of Pisa Study, Croatia 2006]. Revija za socijalnu politiku, (2), 179–96.
Guri-Rosenblit, S, Sebkova H., & Teichler U. (2007). Massification and Diversity of Higher Education Systems: Interplay of Complex Dimensions. Retrieved 10. 11. 2014 from http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/files/53906/11858770845Massification_diversification.pdf/Massification_diversification.pdf.
Jæger, M. M. (2009). Equal Access but Unequal Outcomes: Cultural Capital and Educational Choice in a Meritocratic Society. Social Forces 87(4), 1943–1971.
Jæger, M. M. (2011). A Dynamic Model of Cultural Reproduction. Retrieved 20. 5. 2015 from http://www.sofi.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.65120.1323949644!/Mads_Meier_Jaeger_20111208.pdf.
Jokić, B., & Ristić Dedić, Z. (2010). Razlike u Å¡kolskom uspjehu uÄenika trećih i sedmih razreda osnovnih Å¡kola u Republici Hrvatskoj s obzirom na spol uÄenika i obrazovanje roditelja: populacijska perspektiva [Differences in Educational Attainment of Third and Seventh Grade Pupils in Croatia with Respect to Gender and Parents’ Educational Level: A Population Perspective]. Revija za socijalnu politiku, 17(3), 345–362.
Kalmijn, M., & Kraaykamp, G. (1996). Race, Cultural Capital, and Schooling: An Analysis of Trends in the United States. Sociology of education, 69(1), 22–34.
Karabel, J., & Halsey, A. H. (Ed.) (1977). Power and Ideology in Education. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kingston, P. W. (2001). The Unfulfilled Promise of Cultural Capital Theory. Sociology of Education 74(Extra Issue), 88–99.
Lareau, A., & Horvat, E. M. (1999). Moments of Social Inclusion and Exclusion. Sociology of Education, 72, 37–53.
Lareau, A., & Weininger, E. B. (2003). Cultural Capital in Educational Research: A Critical Assessment. Theory and Society 32(5/6), 567–606.
Matković, T. (2010). Obrazovanje roditelja, materijalni status i rano napuštanje školovanja u Hrvatskoj: trendovi u proteklom desetljeću [Parental Education, Income Level and Early School Leaving in Croatia: Trends of the Last Decade]. Društvena istraživanja, 19(4–5/108 –109), 643–667.
OECD (2010). A Family Affair: Intergenerational Social Mobility across OECD Countries. Retrieved 11. 3. 2014 from http://www.oecd.org/tax/public-finance/chapter%205%20gfg%202010.pdf.
Puzić, S., Gregurović, M., & Košutić, I. (2016). Cultural Capital – A Shift in Perspective: An Analysis of PISA 2009 Data for Croatia. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(7), 1056–1076.
Puzić, S., Doolan, K., & Dolenec, D. (2006). Socijalna dimenzija ‘Bolonjskog procesa’ i (ne)jednakost šansi za visoko obrazovanje: neka hrvatska iskustva [Social Dimension of the Bologna Process and (Un)Equality of Chances of Getting High Education: Some Croatian Experiences]. Sociologija sela, 44(172–173/2–3), 243–60.
Strategy of Science, Education and Technology (2014). Retrieved 10. 2. 2015 from http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2014_10_124_2364.html.
Sullivan, A. (2000). Cultural Capital, Rational Choice, and Educational Inequalities (Doctoral Dissertation). Oxford: Oxford University.
Swartz, D. (1997). Culture and Power. The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Teachman, J. D. (1987). Family Background, Educational Resources and Educational Attainment. American Sociological Review, 52(4), 548–557.
Tramonte, L., & Willms, J. D. (2010). Cultural capital and its effects on education outcome. Economics of Education Review, 29(2), 200–213.
Trow, M. (1974). Problems in the Transition from Elite to Mass Higher Education. Carnegie Commission on Higher Education Berkeley, Berkeley, California. Retrieved 15. 7. 2014 from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED091983.pdf.
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights, United Nations (1948). Retrieved 15. 7. 2014 from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html.
Van de Werfhorst, H. G., Sullivan, A., & Cheung S.Y. (2003). Social class, ability and choice of subject in secondary and tertiary education in Britain. British Educational Research Journal 29(1), 41–62.
Weber, M. (1968). Economy and Society. New York: Bedminster Press.
Published
2017-03-31
How to Cite
Košutić, I. (2017). The Role of Cultural Capital in Higher Education Access and Institutional Choice. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(1), 149-169. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.20
Section
VARIA
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
