Pierre Bourdieu’s Capital

Capital
- currency that buys you a higher society
- foundation of social life
- decides your position in the social world
- results of labor
- and overtime the amount of capital you can accumulate increases

***However, not all labor, for example in forms of capital is not equal. The more you spend accumulating a form of capital, the more
valuable it is.

2 Main Types of Capital

A. Social Capital

B. Cultural Capital
“What you have and what you know”.

3 subtypes of cultural capital:

∙ Emobodied
- the qualities of your mind and body
Ex: schools that you have, accent, skills, dialect, posture, mannerism, taste, choice of arts and literature, music- it’s important
cause the more powerful social classes tend to differentiate themselves from others depending on their looks and behavior.

**therefore, you essentially need to buy membership into these classes with embodied social capital.

For example, in the Philippines, we can tell who’s studying in Lasalle, ADMU, private schools in general by the way they speak, they
speak pure English with an accent. If you can speak English properly, people think that you’re rich/intelligent etc.

*** However, in other countries, such as in Tehran, people should always show their feelings ie cry whenever possible cause showing
emotions represents wisdom and maturity.

∙ Objectified
-material belongings that have cultural significance.
For example, in the Phil. luxury car such as Rolls-Royce (subsidiary of BMW), MacBook or apple products, branded shoes/clothes etc.

***However, this varies in every society, for example in Tehran, they have what they call the “Youth Moral Police”, where they present
themselves as poor, they drive cheap cars, eat simple food even if they come from rich families. For them, being simple/poor will give
them more social prestige. In their history, poverty is associated with the revolutionaries who they considered heroes.

∙ Institutionalized
- symbols of cultural competence and authority
- credentials and qualifications: ie: doctor, lawyer etc
- university degrees are powerful forms of institutionalized cultural capital. Going to a Univ. will give you things like skills
(embodied capital), and the more prestigious the university you’re going or going to in the future (if you are planning to MA) the more
institutionalized capital you will be receiving or going to receive.

***Please note that when someone shares their cultural capital with others, they tend to have a feeling of collective identity. This
happens to certain groups such as Alumni.
- in this case, they tend to share the same educational background, behaviors, even the way they dress etc
Two ways in gaining social capital

1. Being connected to a lot of people.

2. By having connections with few people who have a lot of capital.

In other words, connected with a small number of people who have power (powerful), for example connected with politicians.
Basically, social relationships give you social capital.

Two ways that it occurs:

a. relationships that you make in your life

-these are active, maintained, reinforces or exchanges such as exchanging gifts
b. relationship that you inherit
-born into a family, graduate from the same university etc.

Importance of Social capital: Shared collective capital> by joining a group you can access that capital, the more powerful you
become, the more you will be known. The more willing other people are to be connected to you.