Investigating the Relationship between Community Cultural Wealth and Cultural Capital in Higher Education: A Quantitative Study

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Investigating the Relationship between Community Cultural Wealth and Cultural Capital in Higher Education: A Quantitative Study
Language: English
Authors: Nidia Isabel Bañuelos (ORCID 0000-0002-2587-3794), Kyoungjin Jang-Tucci (ORCID 0000-0002-4216-7074)
Source: Innovative Higher Education. 2026 51(1):29-64.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 36
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Cultural Capital, Community Characteristics, Minority Group Students, College Students, Racial Differences, Social Differences, Parent Background, Educational Attainment, White Students
DOI: 10.1007/s10755-025-09844-7
ISSN: 0742-5627
1573-1758
Abstract: This manuscript investigates the relationship between Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital--what we refer to as Bourdieusian Cultural Capital (BCC)--and Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework. We examine two core assumptions about these concepts: (1) that CCW and BCC represent distinct forms of capital, and (2) that CCW is a resource unique to Students of Color. Drawing on survey data from two larger studies of college students (N = 892), we examine whether commonly used quantitative measures of BCC and new measures of CCW capture different cultural signals, and whether students' reported levels of each vary by race/ethnicity, subjective social class, and parental education. Our findings support the conceptual distinction between CCW and BCC, although some forms of CCW (e.g., aspirational, navigational, and familial capitals) overlap more with BCC than others. Notably, White students' report access to resources that approximate CCW, challenging the notion that these forms of capital are tied exclusively to racialized experiences. We call for more conceptual precision--both in measuring cultural capital and in developing programming for students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508355
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This manuscript investigates the relationship between Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital--what we refer to as Bourdieusian Cultural Capital (BCC)--and Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework. We examine two core assumptions about these concepts: (1) that CCW and BCC represent distinct forms of capital, and (2) that CCW is a resource unique to Students of Color. Drawing on survey data from two larger studies of college students (N = 892), we examine whether commonly used quantitative measures of BCC and new measures of CCW capture different cultural signals, and whether students' reported levels of each vary by race/ethnicity, subjective social class, and parental education. Our findings support the conceptual distinction between CCW and BCC, although some forms of CCW (e.g., aspirational, navigational, and familial capitals) overlap more with BCC than others. Notably, White students' report access to resources that approximate CCW, challenging the notion that these forms of capital are tied exclusively to racialized experiences. We call for more conceptual precision--both in measuring cultural capital and in developing programming for students.
ISSN:0742-5627
1573-1758
DOI:10.1007/s10755-025-09844-7