The Effect of Cultural Capital on High School Dropout: An Investigation in the Italian Provinces

Enrico Ripamonti () and Stefano Barberis
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Enrico Ripamonti: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico [IRCCS]
Stefano Barberis: University of Milan-Bicocca

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2018, vol. 139, issue 3, No 19, 1257-1279

Abstract: Abstract This article studies at a detailed geographical level the relation between cultural capital and high school dropout. Bronfenbrenner’s systemic theory and Heckman’s perspective on cognitive/non-cognitive skills are considered as theoretical framework. We analyzed data from 103 Italian provinces employing Covariance Structure Analysis and spatial indices of autocorrelation. We found a consistent protective effect of cultural capital on dropout, independently of economic performance, in Central and Southern provinces, but not in Northern provinces. Spatial analyses showed very heterogeneous patterns of autocorrelation for dropout (especially across Southern provinces) even between neighboring areas, in spite of a more compact clustering when considering cultural and economic indicators. These results indicate that living in an environment with animated cultural life might enhance students’ non-cognitive skills, thus fostering their involvement in formative activities and the development of their human capital.

Keywords: Cultural capital; Economic performance; School dropout; Structural equation modeling; Spatial autocorrelation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1754-6

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