Strengthening Connections Between Schools and Diverse Families: A Cultural Capital Perspective

Cultural capital is broadly defined as the knowledge or resources unique to a particular cultural group that give social advantage to members of that group. In the educational setting, cultural capital refers to the often unnoticed advantages a family has when their cultural background matches with the culture of a school. Although often unacknowledged, cultural capital plays a critical role in building family-school partnerships. This article provides a definition of cultural capital, distinguishes it from social capital, and highlights ways that families may be inadvertently included or excluded in a school setting based on cultural capital. Suggestions are given for how schools can build strong, effective partnerships with diverse families, including creating an identity-safe atmosphere, recognizing and valuing multiple forms of parent involvement, and carefully assessing the attitudes and actions a school conveys to parents.