Bourdieuean capital in former foster youth college students: A multicase qualitative study
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore successful foster alumni college students' experiences where they used, while in college and before matriculating, cultural and social capital resources as defined by Pierre Bourdieu (1984 & 1986). These resources are sometimes referred to as "symbolic capital." Since cultural and social capital are traditionally associated in the educational environment with students from privileged backgrounds, this study sought to gain a deeper understanding of how successful college students who were previously in foster care perceived these resources; Bourdieu's theories suggest these students would be unlikely to have the significant advantage of similar cultural and social resources. Five participants who were current college students who were in foster care during adolescence were interviewed. Participants shared experiences wherein cultural and social capital would have been relevant factors to their success. Participants' experiences were also examined through postings on their social media pages. This study utilized the a priori theoretical framework of Bourdieu's theories of cultural and social capital. Four findings emerged from this analysis. First, Participants were aware of cultural capital differences from peers. Second, cultural capital was not necessarily linked to participants' college success. Third, participants possessed often unexamined sources of symbolic capital. Finally, the data showed that cultural and social capital often overlapped. These findings have implications for higher education institutions wishing to better serve former foster youth college students. In addition, this study provides a valuable example of how Bourdieu's theories can be applied in research with college students from underserved populations.
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- OSU Dissertations [11222]