Blog 12

The concept of there being different types of capital is incredibly interesting to think about. Generally, most people just account capital as being only economic. According to Bourdieu, there are actually four different types of capital: economic, social, cultural, and symbolic. Economic capital is anything that has monetary or an exchange value. Social capital is any type of relationships that an individual has that could benefit their lives in any way. A few examples of the benefit that social capital provides are emotional health, group acceptance, career advancement, and a number of others. Cultural capital is anything that is passed down from generation to generation. This can include tangible objects such as family heirlooms, simply the knowledge and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation, or behaviorisms and values. The last form of capital is symbolic, which is a form of capital that is almost obtained through having other forms of capital, such as honor, prestige, and recognition. I feel like having more forms of capital rather than just economic gives people the opportunity to show their worth beyond how much money they make or how many expensive items they have in their home. An individual's experiences combined with their relationships and everything they've done in life should weigh just as heavily into how they're seen in society.

Above is a TED Talks video about this exact idea, that human capital is more than just a person's economic standing or status.