This chapter examines how parents’ cultural capital shapes children’s participation across multiple cultural and arts activities. Drawing on survey data from the UK and a multi-method quantitative approach, the authors explore how indicators of parental institutionalised (education) and embodied (cultural practices) cultural capital influence children’s involvement in arts and culture outside the school. The chapter illustrates the conceptual and methodological considerations for studying cultural consumption by highlighting how intergenerational transmission patterns are shaped by distinctive parental cultural resources. The findings highlight the complex ways in which cultural capital can exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities, limiting access to arts and culture.<p></p>
This is a draft chapter/article. The final version will be available in Research Handbook on the Sociology of Consumption edited by [Jennifer Smith Maguire, forthcoming 2026, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
The material cannot be used for any other purpose without further permission of the publisher, and is for private use only.