“I come from a very interesting family!” Translating cultural capital

In my presentation I like to explore the process of translating, transforming and building social and cultural capital by Russian speaking migrants in Germany. My focus thereby is on the private sphere and the practices and ideas of home making, maintaining and constructing family and friendship relations, in a transnational context. The question I like to discuss with you occurred during my first field experiences and biographical interviews of my PhD project.

In Soviet society and state planned economy the possession and taste in consumer goods played a marginal role in the representation of social distinction. So institutionalised (educational degrees, professional and public certificates, decorations), objectified (books, china, access to cultural entertainment) as well as incorporated cultural capital was crucial to soviet social order. In Germany post-soviet migrants experience the devaluation of their educational degrees and professional experience, as well as loss of their incorporated cultural capital and social networks. Simultaneously cultural and social capital are important resources to contest those experiences of devaluation, to distinct one self from other migrant groups and create new social positions that help to redefine a certain identity, as well as open up occupational opportunities and secure the upwards mobility for the next generation. In this context private home is an arena of representing and transforming cultural capital that I like to explore in more depth. 

Analyzing interviews of Russian speaking women that work in the educational and cultural sphere I like to discuss how exactly this transformation of cultural capital takes place, how it is manifested in the private home and family and friendship relations. What kind of cultural capital can be translated, what kind of recognition is organized, where is this translation successful, where not?