Project Summary: Do the arts convey cultural capital? How so? What is cultural capital? Why do the arts play a role in that? Do the arts convey cultural capital equally on persons regardless of socioeconomic background or do the more affluent benefit more from experiencing the arts? How does one acquire cultural capital that would allow for greater appreciation of the arts? Why are the refined arts associated with high culture instead of pop culture? Do you think instruction in the refined arts should be mandatory for public school students or should that remain in the realm of private instruction? What might be gained by national appreciation of the arts? Is this gain desirable or unnecessary? Finally, what does appreciation of the arts say about life chances? How might your writing of this essay indicate a competency in sociological appreciation of the arts and how might that competency boost life chances?