Social Mobility

Scholars, theorists, and other experts have long believed that the different types of capital, namely; social capital, cultural capital, and education capital determine a person’s success or failure in life. One’s success is determined by a combination of wealth, occupation, and income, since they influence someone’s destiny in any society. Human beings have no hereditary aristocracy, and everyone within a society feels that they can become rich through hard work and education. This comparison and contrast paper highlights how social, cultural, and education capital influences the social mobility of different families in a society.

Social capital is defined as a sociological notion that refers to the connections between and within social networks. Its concepts highlight the significance of social relations, the confidence to attain economic and collective results, and the role of cooperation. Generally, social capital is the end result of social relations, which comprises of benefits retrieved from cooperation between groups and individuals. On the other hand, cultural capital is a sociological concept that refers to non-financial social resources such as intellectual or education that upholds social mobility beyond economic means. Finally, educational capital can be defined as educational goods that can be transformed into commodities to be sold, traded, bought, consumed, and profited from in any educational system. Sociologists use this term to how a person’s academic experience and level of education can be used to secure a place in society. In general terms, educational capital can be used to create or reproduce inequality. This is because educational capital acts as a leveling mechanism that promotes equal opportunities and social justice within a society.

Social capital is different from educational and cultural capital in the sense that it focuses on networks, i.e. the relationship between and within them and the standards that govern these relationships. This difference is evident in the book “Class Matters: The five bedrooms, Six Figures, Rootless Life.” The family depicted in this story depicts a family whose social mobility has been enhanced by social capital. Looking at the lifestyle of the ‘relos,’ it is full of people who have isolated themselves,  by old barriers of national origin, religion, education, family status, race and, especially income. Cultural capital is different from educational and social capital because it focuses on the manner in which power structures are reproduced. Nonetheless, it gives no necessary judgment on the impact of this reproduction. This difference can be seen in the book “Class Matters” the story “Up from the Holler: Living in Two Worlds, at Home in Neither.” The defense that Ms. Justice delivers for her client is definitely guided by cultural capital. Having endured a miserable life as a child and her eventual hunger for a feel of the worlds beyond this misery guides her in a defense. Her change of status enables her to see the world in two vantage points simultaneously. Educational capital is different from social and cultural capital because it informs and influences important aspects of life because it is strongly inclined to one’s earning potential. Educational capital entails the accumulation of knowledge, which gives people vital skills that enables them to increase their earnings and productivity. In so doing, educational capital enhances social capital because it allows for the increase in the wealth and productivity of a society.

The three capitals are similar because they affect each other in one way or another. For instance, if an individual has a higher degree of schooling, he or she will definitely have more cultural and social capital. Similarly, those people who detest education would not likely value what social norms and cultural practices that education enforces. Experts are of the opinion that educational levels and participation in social and cultural activities such as attending drama performances, art gallery, museum, and opera is directly proportional. Conversely, educational capital is the guaranteed end result of the combined effect of cultural transmission by school and by the family