Making the Square Peg Fit the Round Hole: Social and Cultural Capital in Pre-college Programs

Attending college has become of critical importance for many young people. Access to postsecondary education requires a combination of grades, standardized tests, rigorous course taking, and preparation (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). However, students who are economically disadvantaged or who are the first in their family to attend college are significantly less likely to enter four-year universities and earn a degree than their higher income peers. While many economically disadvantaged students do enroll in postsecondary education, they are more likely to be enrolled in community colleges and vocational programs that are correlated with lower earnings and less social mobility(U.S. Department of Education, 2000). While traditional economic factors influence the decision to enter college, other factors, such as cultural and social barriers, may reduce students ’ chances for educational attainment. This study tries to answer whether cultural and social capital acquired from pre-college programs will positively affect students ’ educational outcomes. Social and cultural capital is considered separately to determine how cultural activities and social connections and relationships influence educational outcomes. Cultural capital was used to develop the operational definitions from the perspective of Bourdieu (1977; 1985), DiMaggio (1982; 1985), and Aschaffenburg and Mass (1997). Social capital theory fro