With five weeks into the semester, we’re nearly a third done with it. Far enough from syllabus week, but not fully reaching midterm season, we’re at the point where things feel like they’re just starting to get serious. Now with summer on the horizon, it’s also common to hear people talk about applying for internships and summer research just as much as they’re preparing for exams and working on projects. A lot to balance, that sometimes it’s easy to feel lost. Confused about how to manage any of it, or even find a starting point to navigate from.
When we think about resources, our minds often go to things like money and connections, but this awareness itself is a form of resource. Having the knowledge to navigate any situation, university included, is a valuable skill. An intangible asset, that French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu explored with his theories on cultural capital.
Bourdieu believed that capital could exist in three forms: economic, social, and cultural. While economic capital includes any financial assets an individual has and social capital is a person’s network of connections, cultural capital is the broadest and most interpersonal of the three. It can exist in the objectified or embodied state. When objectified, cultural capital is tangible, any physical object that has some sort of symbolic or cultural value, like books or art. Embodied cultural capital, on the other hand, are intangible assets; a set of knowledge, behaviors, and experiences. Interpersonal information, that lays the groundwork for our interests, goals, and what we view as socially acceptable, thus guiding us throughout our daily lives. In a university context, this means the information that helps adjust to the college environment, manage course loads, and plan for the future. This could range from applying to scholarships or understanding what office hours are, but regardless are related to key parts of the university experience.
Now things like picking out classes and finding internships may seem like straightforward knowledge for you, but if that’s the case, it just means this knowledge is a part of your cultural capital. In one way or another you’ve been able to accumulate and internalize this information for your own use, and usually it’s through the people around you. While these connections fall into social capital, Bourdieu notes that our perception of the world is greatly influenced by the kinds of family we grew up in and the people around us. That in turn can be affected by our socioeconomic status, so our economic capital. Each form of capital is distinct, but not independent of the other.
Ultimately our behaviors and worldviews are connected to our social and economic resources, which also means that to some extent, our cultural capital is out of our hands. No one can choose what type of social or economic circles to be born in, and while we can grow our cultural capital through media and experience, it may not be enough to navigate every situation. When it comes to university it’s why we can see first-generation students, lower income students, or those whose families were educated in other countries struggle with adjusting. Even students who know others who have gone to college, may struggle with situations specific to their circumstances. University is a unique experience, both different from other types of schooling and distinctive for each individual. And really, how can anyone navigate a situation if they don’t know where to start?
For many this lack of knowledge causes students to struggle in class or even push them to drop out of school altogether. It can feel like a hopeless fight, especially if the people around you seem like they know what they’re doing. But that is also the beauty of being in university. While not everyone around you may be able to help, there will be students, professors, and advisors who have answers to your questions or the guidance you need. So as we get deeper into the semester, know that it’s okay to feel lost, but remember that it doesn’t have to be permanent. Afterall, just going to university alone puts you in the perfect place to grow your cultural capital, so let it grow!