Cultural capital is only for the wealthy...

[Explodingatomickittens]

I feel that the kids who are really gaining cultural (& on another level social capital) are from wealthy families. I know people will reply that there's lots of free events on all over the UK daily. In my experience these spots are always nabbed by the mc also. Due to covid & cost of living crisis the gap is widening between tremendously between the haves & the have nots. It's very sad.

Sorry about the random italics!

I would say that there's the best way, which is reading Winnie the Pooh AND Greek Myths

There's only so many archetypes in the world and stories are repeated, twisted and copied - look at all the tropes of the wicked stepmother. You can trace that back to Sarah in the Bible, should you want to. Disney took it from Grimm, they took it from millennia of folklore.

Films like O brother Where art Thou - based on Homer's Odyssey - nice if you recognise that's the case but stands up as a perfectly good film if you don't. You could argue that Love Island has overtones of The Odyssey too with Odysseus. Ring seduced by various maidens on his journey

It just gives you more depth to play with.

• being seduced.

I think a few things are in play. This is a thread titled with the words cultural capital and so I think it is going to appeal to posters invested in the value of pursuits and interests which are imbued with cultural privileged.

I don't think that all things with value, those things which move the soul or broaden the mind are the sole preserve of a cultural elite. I think some dance music is as technically complex as some classical music. I think some musicals speak to their audience in a similar way to operas. I think football is as valuable as rugby. I think some superior value is just cultural snobbery.

But at the same time I don't think that all things have equal value. I don't think the Jack Reacher book on my bedside table is as culturally valuable as the copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius sat next to it (although it is acquiring less dust 😁)

@LadyOfTheCanyon - am loving the idea that Love Island can be viewed as a Greek myth. Personally I have to leave my DD to it! It's true about reading as well, but these days there is so much competition for teens attention that sometimes it feels like a losing battle in my experience. Both my DC were avid readers in primary school and both became less interested in reading for pleasure in their early teens. I have found that trying to encourage them backfires, but obviously there is the usual teen rebellion at play there too.

I have also learned, from them, not to be quite so judgy about some things. A recent example was my younger DD watching the new Persuasion on Netflix which I refused to countenance as I am very much a purist when it comes to literary adaptations. However, she enjoyed it and afterwards asked me if she could read my copy of Pride and Prejudice. So perhaps people find different ways into culture.

I also love a bit of Jack Reacher! I think having rounded interests is the best thing - Football AND Polo, Bake Off AND Scandinavian arthouse films.

My parents taught me never to be afraid of conversation with people - being an only child, I only had adults to talk to anyway which I think was a help -but as a family we were also very good at socially Code Switching ( I'm sure there a proper term for it!) meaning we could relate easily and cope with all types of different levels of conversation depending on what the situation demanded.

Yes @LadyOfTheCanyon - I agree that having a broad taste is good. I don't think being snobby is helpful and as someone who enjoys Tolstoy and Cruising with Jane McDonald I like to think I am well rounded 🤣.