Unlocking Participation: Cultural Capital as a Place-Based Determinant of SNAP Uptake

Despite the well-documented benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), there are eligible individuals and households that do not enroll. While most research focuses on individual and economic barriers to SNAP participation, this research explores the role of cultural capital as a place-based determinant of participation. We construct a novel set of county-level indicators of cultural capital across the United States, following findings from a recent systematic literature review that characterized the multiple dimensions of cultural capital (herein referred to using Bourdieu’s objectified, embodied, and institutionalized forms). Using partial least squares regression, we generate composite indices of cultural capital linked to county-level SNAP participation rates in 2022. We apply a Spatial Durbin Model to account for spatial dependencies in participation and isolate the effects of cultural capital from economic and social covariates. Our findings reveal significant associations between cultural capital and SNAP uptake: community engagement and religious participation (embodied capital), creative outputs and citizenship-related attributes (institutionalized capital), and local versus commercial food density (objectified capital) all influence participation in distinct ways. This study underscores the value of incorporating the multiple dimensions of cultural capital into analyses and supports the need for more place-based strategies to enhance SNAP enrollment.