Negative capital: A generalised definition and application to educational effectiveness and equity

Abstract

The concept of capital has risen in prominence within educational policy and practice in the UK since Ofsted introduced cultural capital into its inspection processes in 2019. At the same time, fractured discourses exist across different types of capital - one of which concerns capitals that are negative in constitution and/or impact. This paper addresses both through: - A systematic literature review of these negativities (in social, economic, and intellectual capital) and a thematic analysis of these papers, leading to the derivation of a definition of negative capital. - An evaluation of the merit of negative capital via its compatibility with Bourdieu’s concepts of social field, social field homology, habitus, and hysteresis. - The application of negative capital to a range of examples from educational practice and theory, including a challenge to Ofsted’s use of cultural capital.