Social Capital, Cultural Capital, and Inequality Reproduction in Low-Income Families

Gina Rahmawati Gumilar; Muhidin Isma Almatin; Sumiati; Robert M. Z. Lawang

doi:10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6686

Gina Rahmawati Gumilar Widuri Institute of Science and Technology
Muhidin Isma Almatin Widuri Institute of Social and Technology
Sumiati Widuri Institute of Social and Technology
Robert M. Z. Lawang Widuri Institute of Social and Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6686

Keywords: Social Capital, Cultural Capital, Children’s Education, Low-Income Families, Reproduction of Inequality

Abstract

Education is widely regarded as an important pathway for social mobility among low-income families. Nevertheless, previous studies on poverty and education have often emphasized structural economic constraints while giving less attention to how social and cultural capital operate within everyday family educational practices. This article examines how forms of social and cultural capital shape children’s educational experiences within three low-income families in Pasirmae Village, Pandeglang Regency, Indonesia. By focusing on a small number of cases, the study aims not to generalize broadly, but to provide an in-depth understanding of how educational support is negotiated and practiced in disadvantaged household contexts. This study employs a qualitative case study approach involving three low-income families. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations of educational practices within the household. The analysis draws primarily on Pierre Bourdieu’s framework of habitus, capital, and educational reproduction, while incorporating perspectives on social capital from James Coleman and Robert Lawang. The findings indicate that, within these cases, families demonstrated strong internal social capital through emotional attachment, parental commitment, and moral support for children’s schooling. However, limited cultural capital and weak connections with educational institutions constrained parents’ ability to navigate school expectations and access broader educational resources. These conditions suggest that family educational practices tended to prioritize maintaining school participation rather than enabling upward educational mobility. The study contributes to discussions on educational inequality by illustrating how unequal access to convertible forms of capital may shape educational experiences among poor families in specific local contexts.

Keywords: Social Capital, Cultural Capital, Children’s Education, Low-Income Families, Reproduction of Inequality.

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