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Cultural Capital - working class kids

155 replies

MommaGee · 28/06/2022 15:20

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?

OP posts:
Skelligsfeathers · 28/06/2022 16:59

Sorry, you might not have meant to be but you were very rude and your second response was really nasty.
Why do you think you have responded so strongly?

Chewbecca · 28/06/2022 17:00

I don’t really know what CC is. But DS benefitted enormously from speech & drama groups - gave him confidence speaking up. Also, I love museums & DH likes military history so we visit all sorts wherever we go which can’t do any harm.

KatherineJaneway · 28/06/2022 17:00

I agree with a pp, while it is good to be well rounded there are other skills that are important. Dressing appropriately, being polite and professional at work, being able to carry out basic skills like ordering in a restaurant and navigating public transport, being politely assertive, behaving politely and thinking of others i.e. don't pick up a piece of food, sniff it and have a huge grimace on your face in front of the individual who cooked it.

Saying all that I still remember the embarrassment that I had no idea who or what Tristan and Isolde was. Was it a Captain and Tennille set up or some ancient book I'd never heard of. Google was my friend that day.

BeanCounterBabe · 28/06/2022 17:00

Not sure this counts as cultural capital but we talk to the kids all the time about things in the news history/geography locally anywhere we are visiting. And science stuff (I did a biology degree so bore them rigid with the names of animals and seaweeds in rock pools for example). It’s not deliberate as me and DH are just general knowledge nerds but it is definitely rubbing off. If they ask about a certain career we Google what it involves and entry criteria to get them thinking what grades they need. Just respond to their interest positively abd bore them a bit with ours.

GettingEnoughMoonshine · 28/06/2022 17:01

Is he not learning to play an instrument or speak a second language? Confused

Spanish is very widely spoken, it would be a very practical language to learn. As for the instrument, does he have any preference? If not, begin with piano or recorder. You could do Spanish via apps, but I would get a tutor whichever instrument.

You're missing the basics.

Written with a sarcastic undertone. Nobody IRL talks about cultural capital. Although the suggestions of an instrument and language are perfectly genuine.

MommaGee · 28/06/2022 17:03

Why would you assume I don't know what class I am?
You sound middle class to me with this sneering, passive aggressive comment. Yep...you'll fit in superbly with the mc mum types...
It isn't a sneery pa comment, I don't understand why you're questioning my class. Why would I lie?

And I wasn't tetchy. I answered your question, comprehensively and asked why you'd asked

OP posts:
Ruthietuthie · 28/06/2022 17:05

Speaking from experience (working class family, was the first person in my family to continue in education beyond 16, went to Cambridge, now have a PhD) everything you have suggested is great. But it is going to be very very difficult to replicate the life (and, perhaps, the confidence) of a far richer child. Yes, you can take them to the museum, but there is so much more to it than that.

I would work instead on building confidence, and building knowledge of the interesting parts of their own family history. When I first arrived at Cambridge, I was painfully aware of how much posher so many of my peers were than me. I felt less than them and ashamed - ashamed of my class background, of my family's poverty, of the fact that I hadn't ever been abroad, of my accent. And I had been taught this, in a way, by my parents who really deferred to authority and to those they saw as their "betters," and by my school who said that Oxbridge wasn't for "people like us" and discouraged me from applying.

I soon realized that I was as bright, and often brighter than my undergraduate peers (I went to very poor schools and taught myself, whereas some were really spoon-fed at exclusive private schools and weren't actually that bright after all). What took me a while was realizing that I was just as good as them, just as interesting, just as worthy of having a say. I wish my parents had taught me that our family history (a family history of overcoming remarkable adversity, of brave migration, of early trades union activism) was rich and fascinating, that I- as I was, with my thick northern accent - was just as good as anyone else, and that I had experiences and perspectives that were valuable.

Once I found that confidence in myself, no door has been closed to me. It's the confidence that matters, not trying to fill in gaps, or to put together a replica of a different life. If your child loves museums and books (and Mandarin, and opera, and skiing, whatever) great too, but that isn't the most important thing.

ObviouslyNotNow · 28/06/2022 17:06

You made a personal attack on the OP. Which I reported. Skellig is being very patient with you.

ObviouslyNotNow · 28/06/2022 17:08

Lost the quote, post above was to comedycook.

Sswhinesthebest · 28/06/2022 17:09

This, but just during everyday life. In the car, playing board games, walking etc. Looking up information when discussion throws up issues, you aren’t sure about. Encouraging a general interest in the world. Opening up the world, through both information and experiences.

Sswhinesthebest · 28/06/2022 17:10

Bloodybridget · 28/06/2022 16:36

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.

Missed the quote off.

GettingEnoughMoonshine · 28/06/2022 17:11

There are various benefits to learning an instrument and second language too. More common to do so among upper and middle class. So will help him keep up.
Is the sport swimming? If not he's rather late to be starting for the MC+.

I feel so pretentious commenting. I'm very working class haha

MommaGee · 28/06/2022 17:11

APurpleSquirrel · 28/06/2022 16:42

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.

We are doing Panto this year altho they go every year with school (local theatre), currently working on DH for local musical festival in September 😂

He qualifies for the free HT / Summer activities so hoping to use those to widen his experience. He did some Tai Chi over Easter through it.

Middle class kids inherit the right ways of speaking and behaving which make it easier for them to follow their parents into middle class I get that but surely those things can be learnt either actively or through exposure.

@Skelligsfeathers ill give it a try 😂 it'd probably improve my cultural capital.

Re the "it's in the air of Mc/UC homes and cannot be captured" stuff I do understand but other than going back and reliving my life and being "better" there's not much I can do about that.

OP posts:
karmakameleon · 28/06/2022 17:11

Encourage him to read and read widely.

The DC get all the opportunities mentioned but the one that reads has so much knowledge on all sorts of subjects, and he can connect with so many people because of it.

CaptainBeakyandhisband · 28/06/2022 17:13

I’d specifically add ‘science capital’ into that already great list. So places like the NHM, science museum (and smaller places). If you live in a big city/university town keep an eye on any public engagement activities they are running. What is your local chamber of commerce doing? Ours runs interactive trails etc. also a national trust membership can be good for general cultural capital.

and beyond that, it’s perhaps not enough to just be visiting these places, it’s about how you interact with them while you are there. What do you notice? What art do you like? What learning points are there? Is it similar to anywhere you’ve been before or would like to go?

Comedycook · 28/06/2022 17:13

I don't understand why you're questioning my class. Why would I lie?

I didn't accuse you of lying. I just asked why you considered yourself working class? There are some established markers of class but a lot of it is subjective. Money is not the most important thinb

Comedycook · 28/06/2022 17:14

*thing

CaptainBeakyandhisband · 28/06/2022 17:15

And I agree - you can transcend the class barriers, I did, mostly through education and being inquisitive about things. I can hold my own in cultured conversations but don’t really have those kinds of conversations with my family.

GettingEnoughMoonshine · 28/06/2022 17:15

Ignore the it's in the air comments. It doesn't suit the MC and UC to have the WC on a similar or perhaps better playing field. The advantages in life are not for the likes of us.Best discouraged..

ThickCutSteakChips · 28/06/2022 17:16

It's only really on MN that I hear about 'cultural capital' anyway.

MommaGee · 28/06/2022 17:20

GettingEnoughMoonshine · 28/06/2022 17:01

Is he not learning to play an instrument or speak a second language? Confused

Spanish is very widely spoken, it would be a very practical language to learn. As for the instrument, does he have any preference? If not, begin with piano or recorder. You could do Spanish via apps, but I would get a tutor whichever instrument.

You're missing the basics.

Written with a sarcastic undertone. Nobody IRL talks about cultural capital. Although the suggestions of an instrument and language are perfectly genuine.

We can't afford tutors and school don't offer foreign languages in year 1. They do French in juniors and I'd be open to him doing anything like that through school but I just don't have money to throw at it, or a single linguistic filament in my entire body.

Musically, he loves music but is too young for after school music lessons, has a guitar and keyboard at home but doesn't play on them loads, and not got the money for a tutor. I envy those raising children with 2+ languages die to their own heritage. His best friend speaks two languages and her Mom speaks 5

OP posts:
JimmyMcNultyIsMine · 28/06/2022 17:24

Ignore the sneary responses.

You are aware it is a thing. And it is a thing. What is noted about the difference between Pupil Premium children and others is (and not for everyone before the sneary ones jump down my throat) is there can be a lack of cultural capital in these children's lives. They don't get to experience libraries, books, museums, holidays, music performances, arcades, etc etc.

You are trying to help your child by making sure they are not lacking these things. So fuck the snearies and carry on. I don't think you need to worry about adding stuff - you are doing plenty.

I agree with some PP - manners, table manners, confidence - these are what will help your DC progress.

You sound like a great mum.

Needmorelego · 28/06/2022 17:26

Does he know how to use public transport? As in queue politely, not talk ridiculously loud complete with swearing, play music/watch videos at top volume, eat smelly food and leave the wrappers on the seat?
Does he know how to dispose of rubbish in a park after a picnic? In a bin - not next to an overflowing bin, or take home if the bin is full?
Does he know how to behave in a supermarket - how to be polite to staff, put the trolley back, not put stuff on the till and then wander off to get more food after the assistant has starting scanning, not to leave unwanted frozen food on the crisp aisle?
I could go on....but it's amazing how many so called educated middle class people have NO CLUE how to do these things.

Changemaname1 · 28/06/2022 17:28

Never heard that term I thought you were talking about London or something 🤣🤣 so maybe I’m not the best for advice !

I wouldn’t worry I have always just tried to take my dc to different places we could afford teach them about history etc take them to the countryside ( we live in a city ) farms , some hols abroad just the usual really thought that was normal finances depending

TheScenicWay · 28/06/2022 17:30

If you take your dc out and about to different places, get them reading regularly, encourage them to be curious about the world and not just let them play endless fortnite and roblox, then you're doing brilliantly.