Watch (TV) and Learn? The Relevance of (Embodied) Cultural Capital in Explaining Traditional and Digital Media Literacy

Abstract

This paper aims to identify whether dimensions of cultural capital affect traditional and media literacy by using survey data collected in 2022 as part of the project Medijsko obrazovanje je važno (N=1033). Using Bourdieu's theoretical framework, three dimensions of cultural capital were operationalised as independent variables: objectified (number of books in the household), embodied (taste in TV programmes), and institutionalised (level of education) cultural capital. Traditional media literacy was operationalised as critical reading of media messages, while digital media literacy was operationalised as creating online digital content. Both of these variables were used as dependent variables in the analysis. Following principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to establish whether cultural capital has explanatory power for both dimensions of media literacy. The results point to the statistically significant role of objectified cultural capital in explaining traditional media literacy, although that explanation’s statistical power remains questionable. Digital media literacy exhibited no statistically significant connection with all three cultural capital dimensions. However, additional analysis points to the relevance of digital skills as a more potent factor in explaining traditional and digital media literacy. Overall, digital capital represents a more relevant distinction factor than users’ classic cultural capital in a contemporary media environment. The implications of this data point to the conclusion that media literacy is primarily shaped through various forms of digital capital, although the role of television should not be neglected when developing future programmes in media literacy.