Sociology Education Theory Practice Test

Non-material assets you bring to school—manners, language style, comportment, and familiar dispositions toward learning—are cultural capital. In education, these assets align with the values of the dominant culture, shaping how teachers interpret a student’s work, how they participate, and what kind of feedback they receive. When a student has cultural capital that matches school norms, they’re more likely to be recognized and rewarded, which can translate into better opportunities and outcomes, reinforcing social inequality across generations even when IQ or effort are similar. The other options don’t capture this dynamic: economic capital is about money and material resources, ethnocentrism is about judging other cultures by one’s own standards, and present gratification concerns preferences for immediate rewards rather than the social advantages transmitted through non-material assets.