Understanding access to tertiary education in light of the notions of ‘habitus’ and ‘cultural capital’

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to explore Pierre Bourdieu’s notions of habitus and cultural capital in relation to students’ choice in tertiary education in Malta. Studies undertaken generally lead weight to Bourdieu’s argument that both habitus and cultural capital effect access to education. It should be noted that a similar study has never been conducted in Malta so that there is limited local literature investigating the impact of habitus and cultural capital on students’ travails in their educational career. It is for this reason that this dissertation has adopted a research question that focuses on the role of habitus and cultural capital on the secondary-to-tertiary educational transition. The aim of the study is that of establishing whether Bourdieu’s theory could be applied in the Maltese context of access to tertiary education. In this regard, it should be noted that the primary focus of the dissertation lies in the analysis of the choice between the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and the University of Malta (University) made by a group of interviewed students from these institutions. This analysis is made in the context of the habitus and cultural capital of each student. In exploring the subject of this dissertation, a qualitative type of methodology was used. In total, twenty four students were interviewed with the aim of determining whether the theories of Bourdieu and other principal theorists apply to the study undertaken. The questions posed were necessary in order to be able to determine a particular students’ habitus and the cultural capital that a student possesses. The questions asked during the interviews sought to provide an understanding of each interviewee’s personal view on education. Their life aspirations, general attitudes, extracurricular interests and family background (amongst others) were examined with a view to determining whether their particular habitus and cultural capital impinged on their tertiary education choices. This study ultimately determines that the notions of habitus and cultural capital both play a key and fundamental role in the choices made by interviewed students. It is also conceded that the aforementioned notions cannot be decoupled but must be considered conjointly.