The education and life experiences that we acquire are referred to as our cultural capital.

• A. Economic capital
• B. Social capital
• C. Cultural capital
• D. Occupational capital

Answer: (C)

Cultural capital refers to non-financial assets that people acquire through education, upbringing, and life experiences that help them navigate society and access opportunities. The statement points to education and life experiences as things we accumulate that influence our social position, which is exactly what cultural capital encompasses—knowledge, skills, ways of speaking and behaving, cultural tastes, and credentials that schools and employers value. Economic capital would be money and material wealth, while social capital is about networks and connections. Occupational capital isn’t the standard term used here and doesn’t capture the idea of non-financial cultural assets gained through schooling and lived experience. For example, growing up in a context that values reading, using proficient language, and earning educational credentials builds embodied and institutionalized cultural capital that can ease success in education and the job market.