Abstract:

The study of cultural capital in China’s education sector has a long history. Based on Bourdieu’s theories, which have been adapted to the Chinese educational context, a great deal of research has been conducted to expand the mediating role, group differences, and conceptual discernment of cultural capital through quantitative, qualitative, and discursive research methodologies. An examination of Bourdieu’s research lineage reveals that his understanding and use of culture is reflected in the process of early fieldwork, mid-term theoretical construction and late practical reflection. This understanding is not limited to the study of elegant cultural behaviours and complex cultural archives, but also encompasses a kind of gaze on the overall daily life. From the point of view of the “cultural” connotation of cultural capital, we still need to explore the mechanism of cultural capital that truly touches the spiritual core of Chinese culture beyond the absolute measurement of culture and the description of material cultural entities.

Key words: cultural capital, Bourdieu, culture, cultural reproduction, sociology of education