Cultural Capital - what do you do in your household?

[californiagurl]

We have a huge range of books, frequent theatre visits (although these have been online in recent times), visits to art galleries/exhibitions, support with learning languages.

What's anyone else up to?

Youtube

I won't say what the words 'culture capital' do to me but I am sure it is illegal in a couple of states in America, possibly

But to re answer the OP again (incase this is an attempt at a genuine thread)

But we do lots of things read books, watch YouTube, go to galleries, DS likes Minecraft on his Ipad and plays on the playstation, we do craft sometimes, baking, watch old sitcoms, go away for weekends (normally that is), watch science documentaries just stuff

There is no right or wrong and I would not label any of it 'culture' or not it is just stuff we do

I took my then 3 year old to see Barney The Purple Dinosaur Live and she knew every word.... DS spent every weekend watching bikes and can name just about every motorbike known to man.
I've done my kids proud!

Panto is culture. Even with someone off Loose Women in it

What circle of hell is that??! 😱

Cultural reference ^^

Interesting to see members of a mostly middle class site pretend this stuff doesn't matter and that they don't think about it.

My grandaddy left school at 14 to do manual work but took pride in the fact that he bought and read all of Shakespeare, Dickens and a series called The Book Of Knowledge. He thought it mattered. He didn't have the luxury of dismissing it

Can't say I've ever given it any thought tbh. I reckon we're reasonably cultured types, but we do stuff because we like it, and not to build up dc's cultural capital.

I can see why people might think about this for a kid who is otherwise likely to be disadvantaged in this area, but otherwise,I don't think it's necessary to be too self conscious about it.

Most of this thread is an exercise in self conscious denial though so it clearly does resonate.

My family experience and opinion of the comments here is very similar to yours, Enrico.

But do you take your children to stately homes, OP?

Interesting isn't it, @BitOfFun? Strikes me as being similar to attitudes about Xmas and birthday presents etc. You know, like, oh gosh it's all so unnecessary and I'm much too down to earth with my brown wrapping paper etc to get caught up in that sort of thing.

Ok. But while you middle classes are distancing yourself from ever doing anything decent or fun with your money, us educated working classes are having better Xmases than you, reading better books than you, listening to better music than you and exercising better taste than you generally. Initially because we don't have the money to carry off the societal cache of not doing so (because if we don't do it we're just chavs) but eventually because we're enjoying it, having a good time and seeing the world in ways you never could.

Interesting to see members of a mostly middle class site pretend this stuff doesn't matter and that they don't think about it.

Oh I definitely think it matters. I just don't consciously think about it. That's class privilege in action, I suppose, but I'm not pretending anything.

My grandparents were all from working class backgrounds and probably would have taken pride in those achievements, so I get what you're saying. However, my own upbringing was very different and so I do take this stuff for granted.

To clarify, when I say that I don't give it much thought, I'm not saying that I don't read, go to the theatre, visit art galleries or whatever.Not am I saying that I don't think they're important. However, those are just things that I do, and not things that I consciously think I should do to build dc's cultural capital. They have just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

That said, I do go completely overboard at Christmas, so maybe that's my working class roots coming out!

@ShebaShimmyShake

we were kicked out of the Picasso museum because ds kept leaning against the wall.

Just be grateful he didn't scream at the Michelangelo.

@AlexaShutUp class definitely has a massive effect on how you interact with "high culture" (roughly, works that are generally held in high esteem). My family has gone from fiercely grabbing it as a means of betterment (working class grandparents) to bemused thrall with enjoyment (working class to just about scraped to lower middle class parents) to firstly possible means of escape and now latterly in middle age comfort, enlightenment, mental escape without financial benefit (me, skating around bones of arse most of my life). Coming from three generations of vehement engagement with it though, I do look down on middle class provincials who think they know just about enough to keep things sewn up while maintaining an air of dismissiveness. Not including you in that.

does disney on ice count?
DD been to that

For what it's worth, our dc were regularly read to, house full of books, lots of trips to theatre, museums etc. Not to build up their cultural capital but because they were fun to do.

Both dc are now in their 20s. DS1 still loves the theatre but hasn't read a book in years and wouldn't ever go to an art gallery. DS2 loves art galleries but doesn't go to the theatre.

I concoct new menus through the medium of interpretive dance and paint reproduction Van Goghs on my toenails.

@MitziK

I taught them to shop, cook and enjoy food from different cultures.

That backfired by the time of the eldest's 13th birthday.

Her and a barely three stone 6 year old absolutely rinsed me at a sushi bar for three hours. The little one was stalking the conveyor belt armed with her hello Kitty Hashi like a stork in search of a frog and the older one started quizzing the staff on what type of Miso paste they were using and whether they had any Mugicha.

sushi is ruinous delicious-ness.

Inverse snobbery at its best.

Gotta love MN.

@Enrico I do think many Middle class people distance themselves from culture because firstly they haven’t got the intellect to understand half of it and secondly it no longer carries the societal cache It once did.

Nowadays, being middle class is not marked by being able to name Greek gods, it’s being able to name the best tennis coaches/yoga teachers/personal trainers in your area. It’s not about your son being in short trousers and long socks until age 11 or educating your child in the fine arts, it’s about how many clubs they go to. They must do Rugby, swimming, Cubs/scouts (boys and girls) and a musical instrument at a minimum. Preferably they show no interest in football.

It’s about the mum uniform, the John Lewis interiors, regular beauty treatments.

Preferably 3 kids. The dad working long hours so the mum can keep breeding and chauffeuring. It’s about turning a blind eye to many behaviours.

Exploring the world is replaced by a rugby shirt clad family In padstow (self catering) and a trip to France (preferably with a picture of somThing related to the War saying how grateful etc).

Misogyny is a live and kicking in the middle classes. Years of child rearing and sacrificing of self are usually then rewarded by the husband running off with a much younger woman who spends a lot of time posting near naked pictures on Instagram showing off their bodies created mainly through plastic surgery and airbrushing (this in particular seems to be a current celebrity trend).

If we want our schools to teach our kids how to be middle class this is the curriculum-not the classics.

@Enrico

Interesting to see members of a mostly middle class site pretend this stuff doesn't matter and that they don't think about it.

My grandaddy left school at 14 to do manual work but took pride in the fact that he bought and read all of Shakespeare, Dickens and a series called The Book Of Knowledge. He thought it mattered. He didn't have the luxury of dismissing it

I agree @Enrico. I thought this could be a really interesting discussion, but so many people have been dismissive.

I had a working class upbringing - we went to the library a lot as Mum and I both loved reading, and sometimes to the museum next door to the library. No theatre, art gallery, stately homes and castles etc. When I was about 9 or 10, I went to the theatre with a friend’s family, to see Huckleberry Finn. I’d never read the book, so didn’t know the plot, and when it ended for the interval I thought it was the end of the show. A minor thing, but it meant that now I knew that theatres have intervals, unlike going to the cinema.

It’s not just ‘highbrow’ culture too - popular culture is important (like knowing about Scott and Charlene!). Another friend of mine at school didn’t have a TV at home, and really felt left out.

There’s also the issue of what I would call ‘everyday experiences’ rather than cultural capital - children who’ve never eaten fruit as described by PP, don’t know what a book is, never been to a beach or a forest. That’s important, and sadly needs to be in the Early Years curriculum to help those children.

@PersephonePromotesEquanimity

I miss Bert.

Was her specialist subject.

I’ve been wondering where she is. Do you know what happened to her Persephone?

But who decides what is middle class or not? surely people would not all have the same opinion on what each class is allowed to enjoy or not?

Why is listening to classical music middle class? or Opera? is using gaming consoles working class or are middle class allowed to do that to (or does it even have a class?)

And what the heck does class have to do with celebrating Christmas?

My son goes to scouts (well covid is holding that off for the moment) but my husband likes rugby & football, I like watching Benidorm and reading? we have travelled the world (well a bits of it) but also love staying in caravan parks

We did self catering once in St Ives but also stayed at a B&B in Blackpool

We have shopped at Asda and Waitrose

(yes I am probably assuming what is middle class or not but I am going with clichés I have learnt not saying I agree with them or not)

We enjoy doing this stuff ourselves anyway so drag our kids along. To be fair as teens they do both genuinely like musicals Hamilton etc.

You’ve got to go with what they enjoy we went as a family to see Taylor Swift at Wembley when girls 9 and 11 and went for waffles afterwards at midnight. Not something Dh and I would have chosen to have done but was awesome and both girls say it was their best night ever

CC is the knowledge and skills to have access to the majority held value attributes in society. It’s about the “leg up”.

For lots of people they will “know” what this is and have ready access to it. It’s implicit.

For many it is elusive and maybe not even on their radar. Not valued or understood.

It can be about class or money. But is mostly about knowledge and experience.