Reality is what we meet through action and its consequences. Ask less ‘what is it really?’ and more ‘what difference does it make?’
Key thinkers: William James, John Dewey, Richard Rorty
The longer story
Pragmatist ontology has a refreshingly impatient answer to 'what exists?'—whatever makes a practical difference. If a concept helps you act effectively in the world, it's real enough. Stop asking abstract questions about the ultimate nature of reality; start asking what works. James said truth is what 'happens to' an idea when it proves useful. Dewey applied this to education and art. For research, it means judging your theoretical concepts by their consequences. Does 'cultural capital' help you understand something? Then use it. Does it lead nowhere? Drop it. Concepts are tools, not portraits of eternal essences.