THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL CAPITAL AND SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE IN SCHOOL DROPOUT

Abstract

Over the years, dropout rates have shown alarming figures in Brazilian Education Institutions. At the Technical Education Institutions, it is necessary to understand the reasons that drive students to leave, especially post high school courses. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the cultural capital of students on technical courses, and symbolic violence, have any influence on dropout rates. This is an exploratory study, using a qualitative approach, with collection of empirical data through a survey, which was applied to 52 students, and an interview with 8 students who had dropped out. The data were interpreted using Bourdieu's concept of content analysis, in particular, the concept of cultural capital and symbolic violence. Through this research, it was identified that the cultural capital of students on the subsequent courses of the IF-SC's Criciúma Campus, in relation to prior knowledge in the area of the course, had an influence on drop-out rates, and these students also suffer from the symbolic violence, both from their colleagues, teachers, and the curricular structure of the courses.