The influence of parental cultural capital and support on Chinese students’ musical instrument learning

Although increased scholarly attention is being focused on parental influence, little attention has been given to students’ perception of the influence of parental cultural capital and support on their instrument learning, in the Chinese context. This paper seeks to fill that research gap, with specific reference to two cosmopolitan cities in China, Beijing and Hong Kong. Employing Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory, it addresses two research questions: (a) How do students perceive the influence of parental cultural capital and support on their instrument learning? (b) To what extent does parental cultural capital affect their support of students’ instrument learning? A survey questionnaire was distributed to Grade Seven to Grade Nine students in eight Beijing and 10 Hong Kong secondary schools, in the summer of 2015. Based on the findings from the 3,288 questionnaires collected, this paper explores the relationship between parental cultural capital and support, how these two factors influence students’ instrument learning, and the intergenerational transmission of cultural capital. This paper also discusses how parental influence is perceived in these two cities, and how that perception is shaped by social and cultural factors in the Chinese context.

The survey shows that parents with greater cultural capital (i.e., higher education attainment and an instrument learning background) were more engaged in, and more intensely supported their children’s instrument learning (Beijing: β = .155, p < .01; Hong Kong: β = .266, p < .01); specifically, they more often communicated with their children’s instrument tutors and supported them musically, which in turn motivated their children to learn an instrument. The findings also show that parental cultural capital facilitated the cultivation of the children’s cultural capital, particularly for enrolment into instrument classes (Beijing: β = .191, p < .01; Hong Kong: β = .189, p < .01). The findings also indicate parental reminders to practice (Beijing: Mean = 3.38; Hong Kong: Mean = 2.98; 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) were perceived as important, but did not necessarily enhance children’s motivation to pursue greater learning. This paper proves the interplay between parental cultural capital and support, and how it influences students’ instrument learning. Also, it may unveil aspects of the intergenerational transmission of cultural capital, in terms of instrument learning. This study helps to explain how social and cultural factors may shape parents’ motivation, and thus influence both the types of parental support offered, and children’s perception of the importance of such support, in the Chinese context. This study concludes that parental cultural capital and support affect children’s instrument learning, and that children long for a musical home environment, mediated by such parental cultural capital and support. Copyright © 2018 Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research.