Abstract:

With regard to the study of cultural capital and educational attainment in China’s context, scholars have not only verified Bourdieu’s theory, but also expanded it due to the inadequacy of the theory being too “French” and “static”. Scholars have explored concepts such as “underclass cultural capital”, and added new indicators to the specific measurement of the concept of cultural capital. They have verified the effect of cultural capital, especially explored the context factors that regulate the influence of cultural capital on education attainment, such as social context, exam-oriented education system, cultural traditions, and changes of times. As for the mechanism of cultural capital affecting education attainment, they have found the mechanism of cultural identification in addition to the exclusion of highbrow culture. The problems in the existing research are mainly reflected in the confusion in the measurement of the concept of cultural capital, the rigid application of cultural capital theory and the lack of innovative research based on the local situation in China. In the future, we need to further define the boundary of the concept of cultural capital and find out the characteristics and mechanisms of cultural capital in China’s context and in the changing times.

Key words: cultural capital, Bourdieu, educational attainment, China’s context