This study aimed to take asset-based approach and identify Latino male students who were persisting in college, and to identify what strategies made them successful. This qualitative study consulted Tinto's revised student departure model, Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital, as well as Yosso's theory of community cultural wealth. A phenomenological design was utilized to identify the shared experience of first-generation Latino male college students who had persisted in college and maintained a 3.0 grade point average. Findings revealed that Latino students entered college with goals to provide better opportunities for the next generation. They encountered unfamiliarity, culture shock, and marginalization, all obstacles centered not on academic preparedness, but on unfamiliarity with the environment. They used their linguistic, navigational, and aspirational capital to navigate their two worlds. Their cultural upbringing stressed a strong commitment to family and community, i.e. familismo. They found community among in-group peers and college staff. This support network provided what Laura Rendon refers to as validating experiences. Once familismo was obtained they gained a sense of belonging and grew their cultural capital to become familiar with the college going culture. The learned the rules of the game which enabled students to focus on their goal of earning a college degree.

The main purpose of this study is to find out how Swedish independent music labels survive in the music industry. The study aims to examine the independent music labels based on their resource assets and how they through these assets can compete within the music market for continued survival. The empirical data consists of interviews with 5 informants who all runs an independent music label in Sweden today. The data was analyzed using Pierre Bourdieus capital theory and the related field concept. Based on Bourdieu’s concept of capital, I have introduced the indie capital, which is a capital of information that grows with your time on the music industry field.   The results of this study shows that where the indie music labels lack economical capital, they use their cultural capital and convert it into economical capital with the help of super fans. It is also of importance to build a large song catalog from which the labels can receive a stable income. Further the results shows that the indie capital was essential when the labels were founded and remains essential for continued survival within the industry in forms of knowledge and experience. The social capital acts as en exchange of mainly the indie capital between the independent music labels. It turned out that the indie music labels acted as both competitors and colleagues within the field which means that the indie music labels can turn to each other when it is needed.

This study is about Joseph Samuel Frithiof Stephens (1841–1934) and how he as a Scandinavian contractor acquired an economic fortune in the colonial India. The fortune was used for the acquisition of the mill property Huseby Bruk in Småland and also contributed to the Stephens family's strategy of advancing in the then Danish bourgeois class establishment. The study aims to present an individual actor's opportunities to achieve financial success through access to non-financial capital forms. Social capital in the form of important social relations and cultural capital in the form of information, skills, etc., can be used for transformation into economic capital. The identification and analysis of the personal networks that occurred in Joseph's career determines the importance of family networks and professional networks for access to the various alternative forms of capital. Joseph's career in British India in the 1850s and 60s was surrounded by the colonial power context linked to global capitalist progression and characterized by civilization ambitions, technological transfer and dominance. The aftermath of the Revolt 1857–1858 opened the playing field for wealth-seeking risk-takers from Europe. The power structures previously maintained by the East India Company were gradually replaced by the British central power apparatus. The new power relations established a new administration and altered social institutions in the emerging crown colony. The Indian railways became a significant element in the colonial intervention and consisted of trunk lines that crossed the subcontinent. The used source material in the form of private letters, diaries, business correspondence and more, constitutes the research basis for the studies, and are included in the India-related material stored in the Huseby Archives at Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden. The results of the study show that network contacts and access to alternative forms of capital became crucial success factors for Joseph Stephen's career and wealth accumulation. The networks were linked to both the private and traditional spheres as well as to the professional and rational spheres and sometimes seemed cross-border. The study has further demonstrated the structures, colonial thought patterns and hierarchies that the individual actor was actively related to, and that affected the often-strained everyday life of the contractor.

The thesis The potential of books as a source of cognitive cultural capital: the impact on educational attainment and socioeconomic status deals with the socio-cultural phenomenon of reading that is understand as a cognitive skill whether is closely linked to the child's basic needs and habits of operating and learning. The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of cultural activities (such as a specific type of cultural capital) that is shaped by family and school and forms the individual abilities of human beings. From this perspective it is determinate prerequisite for success in life. The theoretical part describes the life stages of reading with a clearly defined reading's habits and built up the relationship between child and book. Afterwards this part of thesis outlines the concept of cognitive cultural capital and summarizes the importance of external determinants for emergence and development of interest in reading. The empirical part of study uses data from sociological research Distinction and Values 2008 (SOÚ AV ČR, v.v.i.) that presents the structure of reading climate (the availability of books and imitation of parents' reading habits, interaction with parents and fading in childhood). Secondly, children's cultural socialization that creates their cultural participation is...

Previous research has shown that in the last 20 years, there has been discrimination againstindividuals with a foreign background in the Swedish labor market. Statistics illustrate thatpeople with a foreign background have weaker representation than Swedish-born inmanagerial positions. The purpose has been to describe how store managers with a foreignbackground experience their working conditions and professional role in Sweden, to presentstore managers 'perceptions of discrimination in retail and to highlight positive leadershipstories where store managers' foreign backgrounds have been an advantage. Throughsemi-structured interviews, the study sheds light on store managers' experiences of theexistence of discrimination and what it is like to be a manager with a foreign background inSweden. An image emerges that a foreign background often becomes a strength in themanagers' work, where their unique habitus enriches their leadership. At the same time, theSwedish labor market is mediated as formally equal but informally unequal. The storemanagers confirm the previous research in many respects; that discrimination occurs, often inthe recruitment process, due to name selection, that individuals have a linguistic break orthrough informal favoritism that occurs when individuals with a foreign background are notgiven access to network. A perspective of discrimination that has not been discussed inprevious discrimination research has been conveyed; that customers act discriminatorytowards store managers. The results of the study indicate that unequal informal structures insociety and in organizations are expressed when low social and cultural capital throughnetworks and language risks becoming a gatekeeper that hinders career development. Thisstudy has shown that despite laws and regulations on discrimination that have been added inthe last 15 years, inequality is still reproduced in organizations which can be understood asinequality regimes. / Tidigare forskning har visat att det under de senaste 20 åren skett diskriminering av individermed utländsk bakgrund på den svenska arbetsmarknaden. Statistik visar att individer medutländsk bakgrund har svagare representation än svenskfödda i chefspositioner. Syftet harvarit att beskriva hur butikschefer med utländsk bakgrund upplever sina arbetsförhållandenoch sin yrkesroll i Sverige, att framställa butikschefers uppfattning om diskriminering inomdetaljhandeln samt att belysa positiva ledarskapsberättelser där butikschefers utländskabakgrund utgjort en fördel. Med semistrukturerade intervjuer belyser studien butikschefernasupplevelser om förekomsten av diskriminering och hur det är att vara chef med utländskbakgrund i Sverige. Genom informanterna framkommer en bild av att utländsk bakgrundmånga gånger blir en styrka i chefernas ledarskap. Samtidigt beskrivs den svenskaarbetsmarknaden som formellt jämlik men informellt ojämlik. Butikscheferna bekräftar imånga avseenden den tidigare forskningen; att diskriminering sker, ofta irekryteringsprocessen, på grund av namnselektion, att individer har en språklig brytning ellergenom informellt favoriserande som sker när individer med utländsk bakgrund inte fårmöjlighet till nätverkande. En bild av diskriminering som inte diskuterats i den tidigareforskningen har förmedlats; att kunder agerar diskriminerande gentemot butikscheferna.Studiens resultat indikerar att ojämlika informella strukturer i samhället och i organisationerkommer till uttryck då lågt socialt och kulturellt kapital genom nätverk och språk riskerar attbli en portvakt som hindrar karriärutvecklingen. Denna studie visar att trots lagar ochreglering om diskriminering som tillkommit de senaste 15 åren, reproduceras fortfarandeojämlikhet i organisationer vilka kan förstås som ojämlikhetsregimer.

Magister Artium - MA / The black middle class of South Africa has been the subject of academic and media fascination since the democratisation of South Africa almost 30 years ago. However, this attention tends to portray a one-dimensional and homogenous image of the black middle class. The homogenising of this group often involves derogatory stereotypes and framing the group as shallow, and prone to especially excessive conspicuous consumption and vulgar displays of wealth and material possessions. Implicitly or overtly, the black middle class is therefore not seen as a bona fide middle class, i.e. entrepreneurial, zealous, dynamic and enterprising in demanding social recognition. Through the lens of food and food culture (which uses Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of class and capital distinction), this thesis undertakes a phenomenological exploration of a group that is not only heterogeneous but also very energetically rebuilding a sense of self and dignity in the face of power relations, racism and stereotypes linked to colonialism, apartheid and post-colonial politics. The findings of this thesis reveal that black middle-class South Africans are determined to (a) affirm their belonging in society, (b) confirm their class standing and access to capital, and, (c) establish their individual identities as well as an individualised group identity. In the face of continuing inequality, unequal power relations and tense social relations, this group has developed strategies to mitigate and navigate these challenges. This thesis identified two key strategies that are employed by black consumers both online and in the field: ‘eating without food’ and the ‘cultured palate’ (my terms). These two strategies empower practitioners to navigate foodscapes and social spaces as well as demonstrate their class belonging.

Sweden is one of the more equal countries in the world where woman and men have the similar conditions to shape their lives. It is because opportunities for education and career have resulted in that woman can choose when they want to have children. We can also see a trend where childbearing has declined and woman´s life expectancy has increased. Research shows that education, financial security, work and partner are key factors that are important to have been achieved before women choose to have children. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a deeper understanding of women´s choices to delay childbirth. The data is collected through semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework used in the study is based on Pierre Bourdieu´s capital forms and the concept of field. The various forms of capital is understood in the form of resources and the concept of field is explained as the labor market in the study. Three themes were identified which contributed to women´s delay of childbirth and they were: financial security, education and work besides relationships and social networks. The study shows that the accumulation of economic, cultural and social capital contributes to a protracted process that keeps women in the labor market which delays childbirth.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study explores practices that enable African doctoral students to manage their experiences in order to make progress and eventually complete their doctoral study at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The study is informed by previous research into doctoral education, which enumerates barriers to doctoral study completion and students’ completion strategies, as well as by Bourdieu’s theory of practice. It places a focus on students’ academic achievement practices, and how these are informed by students’ dispositions, cultural capital and experiences during their studies. The conceptual-analytical framework developed for the study attempts to bring together existing findings of research into the field of doctoral study and insights from Bourdieu’s theory of practice. It posits that students who seek to attain completion of their doctoral study have agency and resources that they strategically employ within their social and academic environment and, specifically, within the field of doctoral study. It foregrounds doctoral students’ ‘resources’ such as motivation, work ethic, tenacity, and other personal characteristics, and their personal and familial backgrounds, as well as their relevant skills and competences, which all help to shape and inform their learning and completion practices. The study focuses on African doctoral students at the University of the Western Cape. It employs a qualitative design using a case study approach that involves in-depth, semi-structured interviews with students to collect relevant data. The sample consists of 18 African doctoral students from across all faculties of the university. For the purpose of the study, African students are identified as students who self-identify as African, whether they are South African nationals (irrespective of official population group) or students from the African continent (international students). They are purposefully selected to enable the study of a group of students that continues to be under-represented in doctoral studies in South Africa. The analysis of the qualitative data involves narrative analysis and critical interpretation. The study finds that using Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, cultural capital, and field can help us to establish and better understand the practices that doctoral students employ as strategies to overcome barriers that they encounter during their studies. The study shows that African doctoral students’ completion practices are strongly influenced by specific aspects of their habitus and cultural capital, which are determined as relevant by the field. The study focuses on aspects of habitus such as motivation, level of family education and status, cultural beliefs, values and home language, as relevant sources of academically relevant habitus. It also shows that the socio-economic class, status and occupation of core family members provide a bigger motivation for completion of their doctoral study than cultural capital. In relation to cultural capital in particular, the study thus emphasises matters such as prior academic learning; attitudes, skills and competences learnt in the academic workplace (with particular reference to lecturer-participants of the study); an understanding of the university and of the nature of doctoral study; and learning from the supervisor, other academic and research colleagues, peers and role models. Three attributes of the field of doctoral study are shown to be most relevant to completion: (1) the ‘nature of doctoral study’ and related aspects such as the choice of the research topic, thesis writing, the use of the English language, and writing and presentation of work in progress; (2) the relationship with the supervisor and aspects of the supervision process; and (3) funding. By focusing on the practices of lecturer-participants in particular, the study argues for a model of doctoral study that conceives of doctoral candidates as ‘junior staff members’ rather than merely as students, and thus employs them in a contractual relationship that involves elements of work and study. Finally, it is argued that there is much complexity in the dynamic interaction of the concepts in Bourdieu’s ‘mathematical model’. In particular, it is shown that there are dynamics by which deficiencies in the field and in the resources embodied by participants are being compensated by means of other aspects of the field, cultural capital and habitus and with new learning and adaptation to generate practices that are beneficial to completion. A number of findings also diverge from Bourdieu’s arguments. In particular, the study notes that African doctoral students’ habitus is derived from a wider influence than primarily the nuclear family (especially parents), since sibling influence, the influence of extended family members (especially well-educated ones) and a wider social network are important factors

Bourdieu, the French sociologist, proposed some significant concepts (e.g., habitus, capital and field) to help to explain how social agents play roles in social occurrences. Among his theories, Bourdieu’s trilogy of economic capital, social capital and cultural capital has now been used as a powerful theoretical framework to explain class reproduction and education equity. Over the past decades, his theories have begun to be introduced and recognized in Chinese academic world. And this research attempts to see whether this western theory works in the Chinese educational context. Shanghai, one of the biggest cities in China, has a huge migrant population. Limited by the unique Chinese hukou system, the migrant population in Chinese big cities mostly faces a challenging situation to ensure their children’s local educational opportunities, especially during the compulsory education levels. However, the past research only focused on its disadvantaged subgroup, i. e. the migrant worker population while ignoring the vast diversity in their economic, social and cultural capitals among this general population. Therefore, this research, by means of a comparative multiple case study, aims to see how parents’ economic, social and cultural capitals help to win their children’s educational opportunities at elementary education level. Studying three typical migrant families with distinguishable strong, medium and weak capitals, the research finds the specific paths how the parents respectively use their economic, social and cultural capitals to obtain more educational opportunities for their children, and eventually produce the divide in educational outcomes, school segregation and social stratification. The research extends its discussion with characteristics of parent capitals, redefinitions of educational opportunities, and an unexpected minor theme about full-time mother. At the end of the dissertation, it can be concluded that Bourdieu’s trilogy of economic, social and cultural capital does work in Chinese educational context. And it indeed helps us to see more clearly what is happening in present China at a transitional age and calls for service and help to the disadvantaged migrant families in Chinese cities.

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