Dominant and Non-Dominant Cultural Capital: Palestinian Graduates of an Elite School in Israel

This qualitative study examines the cultural capital of Palestinian graduates from an elite Arab private school in Israel. According to Bourdieu (1984), cultural capital—encompassing specific behaviors, tastes, and practices—is leveraged by privileged classes to maintain high status and reproduce power. While this concept typically applies to dominant groups, Carter (2003) suggests an alternative: "non-dominant cultural capital," which encompasses the preferences and dispositions of lower-status groups.

Palestinian citizens of Israel, an indigenous minority, face oppression and marginalization (Ghanem & Mustafa, 2011). However, a growing Palestinian middle and upper class in Israel navigates a complex, dual identity within a hegemonic Jewish society, distinguishing them from other elites. Though they hold elite status within their community, they simultaneously experience national-level discrimination as Palestinian citizens (Haider & Ben-Haim, 2022). Consequently, their Palestinian cultural capital is "non-dominant" (Carter, 2003). This study addresses the unique scenario of an elite group whose cultural capital is both substantial and marginalized.

Our findings reveal a nuanced perspective on cultural capital: while Palestinian graduates perceive and enact elite behaviors in specific settings, their status is undermined in others, resulting in a state of identity flux. Despite this, they strategically elevate their Palestinian identity, positioning their non-dominant cultural capital as resistant and symbolically dominant, challenging national power structures. This study emphasizes the significance of national affiliation alongside class in shaping cultural capital. It reveals how Palestinian elites transform their perceived non-dominant status into a form of resistant capital (Yosso, 2005), unapologetically cultivating their unique cultural identity.

This research contributes to understanding how marginalized groups negotiate their cultural capital within contexts of persistent conflict and discrimination, offering insights into the complex dynamics of power, identity, and resistance within a context of continued marginalization and conflict.