A Study on Cultural Capital and High-Risk Behaviors of College Students in Iran

Abstract

The term cultural capital has gained a widespread popularity as an analogy with economic capital, and capitalism rules and debates since the early 1970s. Essentially, cultural capital is not inherited, yet it is achieved through personal endeavors. Acquisition of cultural capital demands an incessant and hard work in addition to lifelong learning and acculturation. Hence, the present study examines the relationship between forms of cultural capital and high-risk behaviors of Iranian college students. The impact of each form on the incidence of high-risk behaviors is measured. A survey consisting demographical items, and items assessing cultural capital and tendency towards high-risk behaviors are applied. The results suggest a meaningfully negative relationship between sub-types of cultural capital and high-risk behaviors among undergraduate students in Iran. So, the author concluded that with an increase in cultural capital and the sub-types, the incidence of high-risk behaviors decreases consequently.