Cultural Capital - working class kids

[MommaGee]

I keep hearing the value of cultural capital being talked about on threads and how important it is so I'm wondering what kind of things I should be doing to give my WC kids more cultural capital and keep up with thier wealthier counterparts? DS is 7.

Foreign travel is currently a no die to medical issues.

We currently

• Visit the Art Galleries near us regularly
• Take up art and family play sessions at these galleries.
• One after-school sport and one session booked at Commonwealth Games to watch it - altho he v much does it for fun, not talent
• Has been to the theatre with me several times to see stuff ike Pinocchio and Animal Farm
• Go to the cinema altho only for kids movies
• Is read to nightly and reads himself to sleep altho it's Dav Pilkey
• Family holidays in Wales are a mix of beach and casino as well as castles, mines etc
• He's not been to ballet but only because I can't find one suitable

What are we missing?

I've only cultural capital twice, and both times it's on been on mn. Another fucking label for normal life.

I assumed casino was to enrich his mathematical skills re chance and probability!

@veggiemonster you just demonstrated the most important things: valued the knowledge, broadened your horizon via reading, and naturally developed genuine love for learning

Mandarin is a language.

I think the whole point is that for a good number of families it isn't normal life, and it potentially socially disadvantages children later, even if they do well academically.

What makes you think you're working class?

Some secondary schools offer free Mandarin Excellence Programme, funded by British Council

I think all this sounds fabulous! Reading is tremendously important - it doesn't really matter what they're reading!

He's awesome but we won't be considering selective school for him. He's average academically and that's OK.

One thing that some might consider you are missing is music related activities.... our local gardens used to occasionally do 'proms in the park' in the summer. it's a good point. I don't think he'd do an instrument but he listens to music, loves dancing, I did notice our local park does the musical performances so def one to note down

We're on first name turns with the team at our local Art Gallery, 😂

@veggiemonster yes a love of reading does wonders. I'm glad he's got that love even if his current taste is rather puerile 😂

I keep hearing the value of cultural capital being talked about on threads.

I don't.

Nobody sits down one day and decides to introduce their offspring to cultural capital. Those things on your list are just the normal type of stuff that most people do with their kids anyway. Even the lower-class plebs like me.

By the sheer fact you are asking what to do then that's enough. It doesn't literally mean you take them round museums to learn about culture! Its more subtle than that. Pierre bordieux is the theorist.

Introduce DC to children's classics - books, poetry, films - so many cultural references come from these. Usborne (I'm not a rep, honestly) did a great Shakespeare for kids series and great books on Greek Mythology. Learning about world religions is great, eating different foods and appreciating their origins - that's just dinner conversation. A lot of it isn't stuff that"s deliberate or planned - just encouraging curiosity about everyday things.

He does love the science videos on YouTube...

There's a few science museums but a bit too far, but something to think on esp as I love science

I'd say table manners and dressing appropriately are the most obvious things that are easy to address. v good points @ehb102 and ac ually is stuff we could work on. I'm pushing him more to ask in shops, libraries etc for himself, he can def ride a bus 😂 and always says thank yo u when we get off.

@MuddlerInLaw he knows I study I ntbe evening for University (OU) so it kind of aware but isn't a huge school fan so isn't keen 🙄. We do talk about what he can do when he's older and he's always ask me what job I'll do when I stop Momming 😂

Also I just took @veggiemonster to mean that even without all of this, you can still do well and what worked for her was books and someone to look up to.

@OompaLoompaa I'm trying to temper the accent as I'm aware of the connotations and actually don't have a strong local accent myself. I mean it's obvious where I'm from but it's still primarily good English

Mandolin. Too many toddlers, not enough coffee. Tbf I never claimed I was cultured.

I think encouraging conversation and discussion is important, so children are encouraged to think about their own opinions and other people's, and get used to being challenged and considering different points of view.

Erm, living in a rented house which I def cannot afford to buy, in a WC area (def no option of interpretation for that one) surrnepunded by some of the most deprived areas in England (on the upside, primary school is on one and they're awesome at building up kids experiences because they understand their area), with a DH in a job that's paid an average amount, having been raised by WC parents (mechanic) on a WC estate (primarily council houses etc).

Why would you assume I don't know what class I am?

Well clearly as I'm wc too I'm not suggesting they don't, am I?
But I hadn't considered the points made by some pp so hence asking, because I don't assume I'm doing a good enough job in raising my kids and am happy to take advice.

If I've worded that I na way that annoys you, feel free to ignore me.

Sounds like you're doing great - similar to what we do.
Maybe look at a panto at Christmas & outdoor performances like open air theatre or cinema, or festivals & music.
We're also doing more experiences as presents for DC - have taken DD to a couple of theatre performances & this year thinking a short archery course or falconry experience - both based on activities she got to take part in over half term.

Is there actually any evidence that cultural capital in the way the OP and the school system sees it has any value?

The original Marxist meaning of cultural capital is quite different and far harder to overcome. Middle class kids inherit the right ways of speaking and behaving which make it easier for them to follow their parents into middle class, successful careers. Classism is still alive and well.

The thing i wish I'd done with my kids is to have radio 4 playing in the background at home or in the car.
They imbibe SO much from it.

Also, expose them to a really wide variety of music- classical, jazz, folk whatever.

I think people think 'cultural capital' can be 'ticked off' by visiting museums and scheduling planned cultural stuff. It's real meaning goes so much deeper, some PP's have touched on it, and it's actually quite hard to perfectly replicate. It's a term that recognises that for some families the radio is always on playing a wide range of popular and classical music, the talk around the dinner table at night is always politics, the economy, history, because that's where the family interests lie. The home just has a huge of books, bookshelves in most rooms, and children can access a huge range of resources like this, they see parents read most days and reading isn't something they need to be 'told to do'. I don't know if you can truly replicate that familial environment of cultural that's so completely embedded.

@Comedycook what's the problem? Why the nasty responses?
Why does it matter what class the op is?
You seem to have an issue with someone who says they are working class doing things that you deem middle class? Why is this? Why so chippy?

I wasn't rude. I asked a simple question and the op was tetchy with me.