Information Technology as Cultural Capital:Shifting the Boundaries of Power

Most researchers writing about the uses and applications of information technologies in schools adopt an 'objective,' asocial perspective that represents the activities taking place as neutral, technical events or procedures. This paper uses the critical sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu to frame up a case study of the role played by a secondary student in an extensive upgrade to the computer network of the school at which he was a student. The application of social theory enables the reconceptualisation of technology as a material, social practice in the institutional site of the school. The implication is that pedagogical actions and relations are then open to analysis and modification. The paper proposes that, with appropriate support and guidance, it is feasible for students with technical 'cultural capital' to move from the margins to the centre of technological innovation and educational change.