During class we discussed three types of capital
that exist in today’s society. The three types of capital include economic,
social, and cultural. All three of these contribute to the social inequalities
that are present in society.
Economic capital
is simply the goods that are produced and can be exchanged for value.
Social capital is the network of social connections that exist between
people, and their shared values and norms of behavior, which enable and
encourage mutually advantageous social cooperation. An example would be: You
volunteer in the city parks dept. and others recognize this as a good thing and
are inclined to be nice to you. A mayor attends nearly all local
football/basketball/ games, shows up at most church dinners, and shows up at
fires and other vents, then, people give him credit for being involved and he
continues to get re-elected. Negative affect on you social capital account
would be like the Limbaugh fiasco. He called an educated, young woman and slut
on national radio. He has garnered a great deal of negativity. Or take the
actor Kirk Cameron, who uses his time in the national press to do nearly the
same thing-- striking out at gay marriage.
Cultural Capital is the ability to
contribute to a society via jobs, good citizen conduct, and other positive
attributes. Cultural
capital also involves your knowledge of your culture, customs, trends, rules,
etc. So, this is going to depend on your country, and region within it. Your
city, college, school, whatever. It can be on different levels. An example of
this would be, kids from homes with books and parents that encourage them to
read have the kind of learning that fits the school culture so when they attend
school they already have some cultural capital that helps them fit into and benefit
more easily from the school culture.
Overall,
the three types of capital that exist can greatly affect the inequalities
presented in society.
