An ethnographic inquiry of the distribution of cultural, linguistic, and symbolic capital in a culturally and linguistically diverse first-grade classroom

This ethnographic inquiry explored how the distribution of symbolic, cultural, and linguistic capital influenced classroom participation and social identities in a first-grade classroom containing English Language Learners (ELL students), Data were collected for 6 months during language arts related lessons and activities in which I focused upon classroom practices and linguistic interactions that occurred among students and teachers. This study leads to new theoretical insights regarding how students exchange cultural and linguistic capital for symbolic capital as well as the consequences these exchanges have for social identities and social structures constructed during classroom interactions,; Findings suggest that the cultural and linguistic capital that students bring into or acquire in the classroom may be of no consequence without symbolic capital. Symbolic capital was often a principal factor influencing the social identities available to students as well as the conditions for participation that were created. Having symbolic capital allowed certain students to be positioned as leaders, readers, teachers, critics, and experts, among other identities that carried high status and prestige with them. Furthermore, students who were able to position themselves as leaders, readers, and experts were often able to maintain or gain additional symbolic capital. Students with symbolic capital and dominant or authoritative identities were able to use their capital and their positions to position other students in ways that did not carry status or prestige with them. As a result, hierarchical social structures were created and maintained.; The findings provide a warrant for researchers to focus on how students exchange cultural and linguistic capital for symbolic capital. The findings also suggest a need to focus on what is happening in the larger classroom and in the larger society that influences the distribution of symbolic capital and the creation and stabilization of social structures as well as who or what decides what counts as literacy.