Os herdeiros do capital institucionalizado em Alagoas: uma análise bourdieusianna a partir do ENEM de 2022

Abstract

This article employs multiple correspondence analysis, a statistical method frequently used by Bourdieu as an extension of sociological analysis, to investigate the relationships between cultural and economic capitals and the performance indices of participants in the 2022 ENEM (National High School Examination). The objective is to understand the extent to which this examination contributes to the social mobility of less privileged classes through access to higher education or merely reproduces existing social inequalities in the state of Alagoas. The results reveal a condition of reproducing inequalities in access to institutionalized capital (high scores on the examination) that enables access to higher education. Additionally, a policy promoting access to institutionalized cultural capital should not only include programs for access to objectified cultural capital, such as quality schools, but also engage with the parents of students. It is necessary for parents to have equal conditions and predispositions to cultivate an ethos (conatus, according to Bourdieu) in their children, encouraging them to pursue university education and social mobility. This is because there is a relationship between the socio-cultural profiles of parents and student performance, as well as between residing in denser urban areas and achieving better grades. The research reveals the need for comprehensive interventions that involve not only schools but also families and the social environment of students in order to combat social inequalities and promote greater social mobility.