Cultural and Social Capital

According to Seiter, there is a very distinct relation between economic, cultural and social capital (27-52). This is clearly displayed and is evident at Times Warner whereby Marco has the potential to engage in complex skills. However, this is not possible since his job description does not allow for any deviations with the aim at not incurring an unforeseen or unplanned cost. His skill set is more confined to installations, and he is paid by the hour. This reflects the impact of the job market and how it has affected the economic status. Employers have adopted a cultural trend where they buy many computers and demand to use them always. They happen to be used by people who do not even have the slightest idea of the many features and technological advantages that they posses.

However, it has many advantages to the educational community. Technology has made many aspects of learning simpler in that there are more creative and critical pedagogy. Thus, the quality of learning offered has improved in many cases greatly. The social capital standards will also come to make tremendous changes in this light. Technology in public schools in the United States brought about new markets for educational software and hardware that would facilitate efficiency in the learning management.

Digital media learning was born as a result of the technological advancement made in the music education, which has a long stretching history. Private schools are the ones that are mostly renowned for engaging seriously in music education, but the public schools in the United States have been gradually adopting it as well. However, it is of different genres, and it is taking place outside the classrooms. The different genres include hip-hop, pop and Latina. These genres involve digital and electronic technologies that amaze. Classical music, which today is still the most prestigious, has shown that it is the hardest genre to grasp unless you have the instruments which are very expensive and possess the skills necessary to engage in it. The instrument will also involve much more considerations than merely buying it. Economical capital sets in at this stage as you have to have ample space for playing it without disturbing or distracting other family members or neighbors. Moving to a larger house where the piano can be accommodated without disturbing anyone could be an economical challenge.

It has been discovered that the biggest disparities between rich and poor children lie in the area of multimedia. The expensive nature of some computers and software applications could create inaccessibility to some quarters. The necessity to advance technologically has brought harsh economic crisis to the citizens who are not well off.

The social circumstances that take place also give the satisfaction by knowing that one spends lots of time practicing, one will be rewarded by possessing mastery. The cultural aspect also sets in, whereby if one spends lots of time on the piano, he/she will develop an automatic relationship with the object. Learning the symbolic language, especially at an early age, is also very efficient.

Social capital will involve connections and family relationships. Digital networks have been found to increase the class cohesion and the poor or people who are less educated have been excluded. This has created different classes of people who even go to the length of referring to themselves as “we” in digital networks. If these barriers are not counter checked, it will lead to social inequity, which may have serious and grave results. Alienating some people on the basis of the class could set in huge discrepancies in the economic, cultural and social capital. It is important to note that the rise of digital technologies coincided with low opportunities for affordable public higher education, among many other concerns. Bourdieus model of social, economic and cultural capital has clearly shown that the cure for education lies in digital technology. However, most school boards were for the idea to purchase a Steinway; they argued that it would not be very helpful since it would not be very effective as not all children had access to pianos at home. They also realized that it would be expensive in the long run to maintain those computers. It was also hard to determine whether the growth of digital media was real or whether it was for the greater good of the citizens. They realized that there were cartels that had other economic interests apart for the benefit of the citizens.

Computers became a learning machine that was used for educational and leisure purposes. The government should put measures in place so that the digital technologies will be accessible to the rich and the poor children (Cicco 16). Foundations, like the Gates Foundation, and the government have come out to help the kids. Schools are having a hard time finding grants whenever the other organizations’ terms have expired. Local and state institutions should carry on from there.