ABSTRACT
To understand how the social class background of children influences their life chances has been an issue of enduring importance in sociology. For example, researchers have sought to show the power of family background on children's school experiences as well as the complex ways it intersects with aspects of school organization (Alexander, Entwisle, & Thompson, 1987; Cookson & Persell, 1985; Hout, 1988; McDonough, 1997; Sewell & Hauser, 1980; Stevenson & Baker, 1987). Less attention, however, has been paid to the question of why social class has this influence on educational experience. In recent years, the work of Pierre Bourdieu, particularly his concepts of cultural capital and social capital, have gained attention (Bourdieu, 1987a; DiMaggio & Mohr, 1985; Lamont & Lareau, 1988; Portes, 1998). Some have suggested that the work of Bourdieu, with his attention to agency and social structure, has the potential to enhance sociological work. Notably, Bourdieu highlights the way that practices are infused (unequally) with social legitimation so that not all cultural practices are viewed as having equal value. Other researchers, particularly James Coleman (1985, 1987; Coleman & Hoffer, 1987) have also adopted the concept of capital although, as I show below, fundamental aspects of Coleman's concept differ from those of Bourdieu.
