Cultural Capital as a Bulwark against Social Alienation (Case Study: Students of Saqqez City)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between cultural capital and social alienation. According to Pierre Bourdieuâ s Standpoint, cultural capital involves habitus, rhetoric styles, different forms of knowledge and tastes. According to Bourdieu, the individuals who are in high economic and social hierarchical level have different patterns, habitus and type of cultural goods consumption. In this regard, the individuals who belong to high social classes gain much cultural capital. Therefore, social agents categorize themselves by type of consuming cultural goods and imposing strategic distinction to other classes. Consequently, low classes of individuals are faced to social alienation. This Study has been done in survey method between 371 of high school and pre- university students in Saqqez. The results of this study indicate that there are significant inverse relationship between cultural capital and social alienation but the level of this relationship is weak.