CULTURAL CAPITAL IN SCHOOLS AS SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS: BANGLADESH RURAL GOVERNMENT PRIMARY EDUCATION

Abstract

French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu identifies that educational institutions are the places of social class reproduction. English is used as a weapon in producing disparity, and cultural capital also enforces social hierarchy and gives birth to inequality. A systematic cultural construct of students is needed to build culture as capital that minimizes social reproduction and promotes class shifting. This qualitative study tries to identify how cultural capital is built in Bangladeshi rural primary-level learners, what are the challenges of accumulating cultural capital and how these challenges can be minimized. Ten rural government primary teachers were selected using convenient sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Using a questionnaire comprising sixteen open-ended questions, interviews were recorded on a device and analyzed descriptively. This research finds that carefully chosen cultural content can build a strong capital in Bangladeshi learners of low socioeconomic backgrounds. There are challenges in the process of building appropriate cultural capital, but a balanced contribution of all stakeholders can ensure sustainable growth.