Impacts of cultural capital between two different institutions at a tertiary level : MCAST and University

Abstract

This dissertation is set to find out more about the various levels of cultural capital which students in Malta possess in the present day. The students with whom the research took place are coming from two different local institutions, both at a tertiary level: MCAST and university. This study will start off with an overview, together with a close look at the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu, seeing what he had to say about cultural capital and other related topics. His theories are then linked together with the information gathered during the actual research itself. The information was collected with the use of semi-structured interviews, on a one-to-one basis. The time when I had the actual findings in my hands, was the time when I started to see a connection between what I had read in books and what I had just found out. I spoke with students and asked them questions that helped me in knowing whether what Bourdieu was claiming, was the reality or not. The findings and answers of students are all reported and can be looked at and read in the findings section. After this, a discussion took place where I put into words the associations which I saw between the theories and my experience with students. Finally, one can read the conclusion, which was drawn out of the discussion which took place after the findings were concluded and after considering every single detail and every aspect read about during the research.