Conference Program

Educational poverty is increasingly recognized as a structural phenomenon closely linked to social inequality and unequal distributions of economic and cultural capital. From this perspective, schools may either mitigate or reproduce these inequalities. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s (1984) theory of cultural reproduction, this paper examines how different forms of capital shape students’ and teachers’ attitudes toward sociocultural diversity in Croatian upper secondary schools, and how these processes may relate to educational poverty, symbolic violence, and the broader democratic role of education (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1990). Educational poverty is not limited to the absence of basic skills, but also involves restricted access to complex forms of knowledge, critical thinking, and cultural resources that enable active participation in democratic life (Adams & Bell, 2016). When curricula, pedagogical practices, or institutional cultures implicitly privilege dominant cultural capital, students from disadvantaged backgrounds may experience forms of symbolic violence that devalue their cultural resources and reinforce social hierarchies (Olneck, 2000). The study draws on data collected in 2026 through a national questionnaire survey conducted among a representative sample of approximately 2,000 upper secondary school students and 500 teachers across all types of upper secondary education programs in Croatia. The research examines determinants of attitudes toward sociocultural diversity among both groups. Multiple regression analysis will be employed to identify predictors of inclusive or exclusionary attitudes toward diversity. Particular attention will be paid to whether unequal distributions of economic and cultural capital correspond with more negative attitudes toward diversity and with patterns that reproduce symbolic boundaries within the school context (Pedersen, 1996). It is expected that students with lower levels of cultural and economic capital may encounter educational environments that insufficiently recognize their cultural resources, potentially reinforcing experiences associated with educational poverty (Gorski, 2009). Teachers operating within institutional pressures and standardized curricular frameworks may also reproduce dominant cultural norms that unintentionally sustain symbolic inequalities. By connecting educational poverty with Bourdieu’s concepts of capital and symbolic violence, this study contributes to discussions about how schools shape dispositions relevant to democratic participation. If educational systems fail to provide equitable access to rich cultural knowledge and reflexive capacities, they risk limiting the ability of young people to engage critically in democratic processes. The findings therefore highlight the importance of educational policies and pedagogical practices that expand cultural resources, challenge symbolic hierarchies, and strengthen the democratic mission of schooling.