Validating a Scale Measuring Cultural Capitals of University Students

The presented research is devoted to measuring the cultural capitals of Russian university students. Despite the active use of cultural capital in the field of education, a methodology that would reflect the important aspects of cultural capital for students of modern Russian universities has not yet been developed. Assessment of cultural capital is difficult because it cannot be ob-served and measured directly. Students are a largely homogenous group in terms of age, income and lifestyle. This fact increases the methodological challenge of the assessment of cultural capi-tal, insomuch as it is necessary to include in the index aspects of cultural capital, which would still be able to differentiate the level of cultural capital homogeneous group of students. The purpose of the current study was to develop and approbate a methodology for measuring cultural capital, which would cover its important aspects for students of Russian universities. A systematic understanding of the validity concept, its aspects, types and methods of evaluation was scrutinized. The scale of measurement of cultural capital of students of Russian universities was developed, validated and approbated. Preferences of students with different levels of cultural capital in cinema and literature were analyzed. The cultural capital of HSE – Perm students was estimated. The cultural preferences of HSE – Perm students with different levels of cultural capital were analyzed. Hypotheses for further research were formulated.