6.2b Status and Power

Symbolic capital grants a form of status, which is also unequally distributed in society. Status is a social or legal position. It may or may not have honor and prestige associated with it. Being a football team member, prom queen, or class president in U.S. high schools may confer high status.

Power Is Linked With Status

Power is the ability to influence what others do or think. It is linked with status. Someone may have power over people because of their status or position within an institution. Still, others may shape the power of their position. Within a school, distinct positions have different amounts of power. Teachers have power over students. They can assign homework and penalize students for not doing it. However, a principal or a school board may set policies that may limit a teacher’s power.

Photo 6.4

Teachers Have Some Power Over Students

The Hidden Curriculum

The formal school curriculum does not directly teach students about status and power. However, cultural messages about who has status and power are part of the hidden curriculum. The hidden curriculum is the unwritten rules, norms, values, and other aspects of culture informally taught in schools. The curriculum includes cultural values communicated by what is and is not taught. For example, U.S. history focuses on the history of White people in the United States. While educators may not intend to highlight dominant groups, they do so nonetheless.