Bourdieu and Coleman introduced the concept of capital on distinct theoretical bases to speak of the cultural and social advantages mobilized by individuals and which generally lead them to a higher socioeconomic level. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relative merits of these sociological approaches, to explore the explanatory potential of economic, social and cultural capital in the analysis of educational performance, and to analyze the effects of the different forms of capital and their familial mobilization on the reading performance of Brazilian students who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) held in 2000. The data was analyzed using models of linear regression and the analysis of conglomerates. The results suggest that the variables related to the different types of capital have significant effects on school performance, especially social capital and its mobilization by the network of family support.
social capital based on the family; school performance; educational evaluation; Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
