Which of the following situations requires the extensive use of social, cultural and economic capital?
A. Applying for school admission under the EWS category.
B. Applying for a lucrative job in an overseas company.
C. Finding life partners through matrimonial websites.
D. To become a successful entrepreneur.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → B, C and D only
A. Applying for school admission under the EWS category. Incorrect. The EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) quota exists for families that lack economic capital. It is meant to give access without the advantages of wealth, contacts or status, so it does not need the extensive use of all three forms of capital.
B. Applying for a lucrative job in an overseas company. Correct. Such a job needs cultural capital (good degrees, skills, English), social capital (contacts and recommendations) and economic capital (money for courses, travel and applications).
C. Finding life partners through matrimonial websites. Correct. Matches are judged on the family’s wealth (economic capital), the person’s education and status (cultural capital), and the family’s networks and community (social capital).
D. To become a successful entrepreneur. Correct. A business needs money to invest, knowledge and skills, and networks of suppliers, buyers and lenders, so all three forms of capital are used, and one helps to gain the others.
NCERT (2025-26): “Social Inequality In every society, some people have a greater share of valued resources – money, property, education, health, and power – than others. These social resources can be divided into three forms of capital – economic capital in the form of material assets and income; cultural capital such as educational qualifications and status; and social capital in the form of networks of contacts and social associations (Bourdieu 1986). Often, these three forms of capital overlap and one can be converted into the other.…” |