Describe how the three different types of capital Bourdieu identifies can give middle class students an advantage at school

Bourdieu identified three types of capital: economic, social and cultural. Each can be seen as a sort of currency for succeeding or progressing in the social world and although he distinguished between them, one form of capital can help you gain another. This is part of the reason why middle class students are more likely to perform well at school than more deprived students. Economic capital refers to the money or property a person owns or has available to them. In the example of middle class children, their parents' relative wealth opens up opportunities for extracurricular activities such as music lessons, sport and tutoring which raise their chances of success and fulfilment at school and later in life. High amounts of economic capital could also be used to pay for private school fees where student-teacher ratios are much lower and the likelihood of performing well much higher.Social capital refers to the people a person knows directly and the potential social circles they have access to as a result of their social position. Middle class children are more likely to have parents who are in professions that give them access to influential, well-educated and affluent circles of people which can benefit early career prospects but also earlier on give middle class children a subtle edge in educational settings too.Finally, cultural capital refers to the intellectual skills a person acquires i.e. their knowledge and education. Children from middle class families are likely to have grown up around many of the cultural references and ways of acting/ behaving that align with that of the British educational system. Simple things like speaking in a certain way or learning to read at a really young age and being encouraged to do so by middle class parents who have more time and money to spend on investing in such activities.