Accumulation of cultural and social capital

Beginning in the 1920s, and continuing through the 1950s, research indicated that in college (and especially at Harvard) public school graduates were higher academic achievers than were prep school graduates. After the Second World War, however, admissions to prestigious colleges became much more competitive; graduates of the most elite boarding schools were no longer assured entry to the college of their choice. Therefore, this series of three studies was designed to update and extend the earlier research. It was found that at Wesleyan University, Yale University, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College, public school graduates were significantly more likely than prep school graduates to be elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In contrast, the private school graduates were significantly more likely than the public school graduates to be selected as members of the two most prestigious senior societies at Wesleyan and Yale (The Mystical Seven at Wesleyan and Skull and Bones at Yale). Pierre Bourdieu's (1977) theory of social reproduction and his concepts of “cultural capital” and “social capital” are used to interpret both the earlier findings and the findings reported in these three studies

Cultural capital · Elite · Political science · Social capital · Social science · Sociology · Gender Studies · Higher Education Research Studies · History · Law · School Choice and Performance · Social and Cultural Dynamics

• The Education of Elites in the United States

  Shamus Khan, Shamus Rahman Khan•L Année sociologique•2016

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• Private education and inequality in the knowledge economy

  Open Access•E Huber, Jacob R Gunderson et al.•Policy and Society•2019

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• Singing alone? The contribution of cultural capital to social cohesion and sustainable communities

  M Sharon Jeannotte•International Journal of Cultural…•2003

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• Prep School and Public School Graduates

  Richard L Zweigenhaft•Sociological Spectrum•2009

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• Paradox and privilege

  Open Access•Stephen J Kunitz, Daniel Horowitz•SSM - Population Health•2016

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• Social capital and the third way in public health

  Open Access•Carles Muntaner, John Lynch et al.•Critical Public Health•2000

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• Philadelphia Gentlemen

  E Digby Baltzell, Roger L Geiger•Philadelphia Gentlemen•2017

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• Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education

  John G Richardson•Handbook of theory and research…•1986

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• Power and ideology in education

  Albert Henry Halsey, Jérôme Karabel•Power and ideology in education•1977

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• The Forms of Capital

  Pierre Bourdieu•Readings in Economic Sociology•2002

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• Factors affecting college grades

  Diane Harris•Psychological Bulletin•1940

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• Prep School and Public School Graduates of Harvard

  Richard L Zweigenhaft•The Journal of Higher Education•1993

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• Preparing for Power

  Peter W Cookson, Caroline Hodges Persell•Preparing for Power•1987

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• The effects of need achievement on the content of TAT stories

  Charles Mcarthur, Charles C McArthur•Journal of Abnormal & Social…•1953

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• Personality differences between middle and upper classes

  Charles Mcarthur, Charles C McArthur•Journal of Abnormal & Social…•1955

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• The classic personal style

  David G Winter, V A Kuzmin et al.•Journal of Abnormal & Social…•1963

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