Cultural Capital Disparities

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Elite Campuses In the past decades, more light has been shed on the concerning issues of inclusivity and diversity in higher education, especially when it comes to elite universities. While these elite universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, etc. have made significant strides in diversifying their student bodies both economically and racially, the working class students find themselves feeling unwelcome in said prestigious universities. In trying to understand the feelings of unwelcome students, it is important to consider various sociological factors such as the cultural capital disparities and the social reproduction of elitism.

Cultural Capital Disparities One of the most significant factors that contributes to the feeling of unwelcome in working class students is the disparity in cultural Capital between them and their affluent classmates. Peter Calleros' belief of cultural capital that
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In these prestigious universities, the working class students often find themselves at a major disadvantage compared to their peers from the lack of cultural resources that may be deemed necessary to help them navigate the academic and social terrain successfully. For example, as the article Making it by Faking said, “while most students experience some degree of uncertainty and competency crisis during their first year, working-class students