In addition to Ofsted ‘s latest Education Inspection Framework (EIF), the term cultural capital has been added. Cultural capital is the fundamental knowledge that children need to be educated people, it is the vital information that children need to prepare them for future success. Many kids arrive at an early year environment with their learning and playing, with different experiences than others.
It’s about giving kids the best possible start to their early age education. It’s the job of setting up to help kids from 0-6 years of age feel the awe and wonder of the world they live in through the seven years of learning. We believe in the value of ensuring equity for children who are cultural and developmental in the early years of the learning environment.
Every child deserves the best possible start in life.
Defining present-day intellectual capital
Three sources of cultural capital Bourdieu identified: objective, embodied, and institutionalized.
Objective: Cultural objects, books, artworks
Embodied: Vocabulary, tastes, mannerisms
Institutionalized: Skills, certificates for the education
More recent research by several scholars on the concept of cultural capital[1] has added scientific, emotional, regional, and subcultural types of cultural capital to this list.
Technical: marketable competencies, e.g. IT
Emotional: empathy, compassion (things companies in management roles can be looking for in employees)
National: ‘Operates on the assumption of the existence of traditions, both high and traditional, which generate and justify a sense of belonging and the occupation of a national governing role … It is a type with a limited exchange value because it is not unusual … in practice, lacking it acts as a handicap, rather than providing a route to profit and preferential possession.’
Subcultural: groups formed around cultural details that involve unique cultural awareness and behaviors for individuals to belong to the sub-set.
In this new sense, ‘Cultural Capital’ is embodied by an individual who has knowledge of a wide range of cultures and is comfortable discussing their value and merits. It is defined by the maturity and capacity to be able to apply the correct information in any given situation: a job interview, a conversation with a neighbor, the creation of a network of work, etc.
The benefits of cultural capital
Evidence shows that the cultural capital passed down by families is helping children in school do better. The education system values the awareness and ways of thinking established by the development of abstract as well as formal cultural capital. As adults, cultural capital allows people to network with other adults with similar information and experiences and, in effect, monitor access to
This system of privilege is defined in their 2009 book Community, Class, Distinction Bennet, et al.
‘This is the reproduction circuit associated with schooling and formal education. Those parents equipped with cultural capital are able to drill their children in the cultural forms that predispose them to perform well in the educational system through their ability to handle “abstract” and “formal” categories. These children are able to turn their cultural capital into credentials, which can then be used to acquire advantaged positions themselves.’
Valuing the cultures of children and families
Each child and family who enters a setting will have their own awareness and experiences that will interact with their community and extended family. This may include cultures, values, customs, family and cultural heritage, interests, travel, and work. Evidence indicates that, if the cultures of children and families are respected, both the learning experience and the success of the child will profit.
(Husain et al., 2018, p. 4 and Gazzard, E. 2018 in Chalmers, H. and Crisfield, E. 201)
What is Montessori ‘s or childminder’s position here?
The children learn from the various people around them about the local society. And here the question comes to mind how the kids know about their native culture as if any are from India how they know about the culture of India?
So, here the role of Montessori or childminder comes into play. Depending on their background, it is really important to give content to children’s which helps children learn their native culture.
“While the national curriculum does not apply to the early years’ provisions, We believe that the phrase is equally applicable. ”
Exciting and Stimulating activities of cultural capital
Finding books on a child’s favorite topic Create role-playing games that further their interest in a given idea Take the Park Trips And plan neighborhood events such as police conferences.
