The dark side of the force : the downside of social capital and indigenous higher education

Abstract

Social capital has been a popular, yet contested, concept and the possibility that it has a 'dark side', has long occupied researchers and policymakers. However, the diverse heritage of the idea has led to theoretical incoherence and difficulties in operationalisation and measurement. This thesis argues that many of these issues can be resolved by revisiting Bourdieu's interpretation of social capital, which permits a more robust analysis of social capital's positive and negative outcomes. In order to explore these ideas empirically, this thesis examines the downsides of social capital in the context of Indigenous tertiary education in Australia. Social capital has been identified as an important factor for academic success; particularly for minority, ethnic or historically marginalised groups, the creation of social capital is identified as a key factor in positive educational outcomes. Yet, narratives of dysfunction, disengagement and weak social norms are common in discussions of poor academic outcomes for Indigenous people. Largely absent from this debate, particularly in Australia, is a discussion of how social capital mirrors existing patterns of inequality for Indigenous people. Consequently, also missing is a discussion of how social capital's downsides can impede a student's ability to succeed in the education system. This thesis therefore asks two questions: 1. What can a 'forms of capital' approach add to understanding the resources that Indigenous students use and need in tertiary education? 2. How does the idea of social capital's downsides explain the challenges Indigenous students face in tertiary education? Rather than perpetuate a deficit explanation for the downside of social capital, this thesis argues that the negative effects of network membership can be understood as an effect of social location. For Indigenous Australians, this includes a history of colonisation, dispossession and marginalisation, which has had a profound effect on social norms and organisation. Bourdieu's interpretation of social capital offers a way to break with dominant versions of the theory which tend to see the negative effects of social capital as the sole responsibility of individuals and communities. Show more