Conceptualizing and Measuring Cultural Capital with Dual Process Theory

Cultural capital is one of the most important concepts for understanding the mechanisms of reproduction of social and power structure. What distinguishes cultural capital from material capital is that it functions by relying on people's cognition and dispositions. Therefore, a theory of human cognitive mechanisms is necessary for the appropriate conceptualization and measurement of cultural capital. This study categorizes cultural capital based on the dual-process theory of cognition and proposes a valid measurement method. Specifically, it distinguishes between embodied cultural capital, which operates at the level of System 1, and institutionalized cultural capital, which operates at the level of System 2. The differences in cognitive mechanisms are linked to differences in acquisition methods. Embodied cultural capital is primarily inherited through childhood experiences in the family, while institutionalized cultural capital is acquired through formal education. To measure embodied cultural capital, this study suggests using the Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP), a method for measuring implicit affection related to a given object. Institutionalized cultural capital can be measured using explicit survey questions about cultural preferences. This study compares 'implicit cultural preferences' measured by AMP with 'explicit cultural preferences' measured by traditional survey items, demonstrating that while the two are weakly correlated, they are based on different mental processes. Additionally, some aspects of 'implicit cultural preferences' are shaped by childhood cultural experiences, while educational background is unrelated to 'implicit cultural preferences' but strongly related to 'explicit cultural preferences.' These results suggest the validity of the conceptualization and measurement of cultural capital proposed in this study. In short, cultural capital operates at both System 1 and System 2 levels. The former, in particular, cannot be measured by traditional survey items and must be assessed using AMP, which measures implicit affection.