The changing impact of social background on lifestyle: “culturalization” instead of individualization?

Abstract

In this study, a number of hypotheses on the changing effects of social background on cultural consumption and other leisure activities were tested. Based on notions regarding the waning of traditional cultural hierarchies, a decrease in the effects of age, gender, education, income, religion, and political party preference on popular cultural activities was expected. The second hypothesis, inspired by the notion of the elitist rearguard, predicted increasing effects of age and education on highbrow culture. Third, based on the alleged culturalization of lifestyles, it was hypothesized that social categorizations based on cultural socialization (education, age) had become more relevant overall lifestyle predictors, whereas categorizations based on economic resources (income) were losing their impact. Finally, the secularization hypothesis predicted overall diminishing effects of religion. The analyses, based on data on 12,478 Dutch respondents gathered between 1980 and 2000, largely confirmed the second and third hypothesis. There were no signs of a general decline in the impact of social background, with some exceptions for gender and income. The effects of education and age often became larger, corroborating the idea that socialization has become a more important determinant of lifestyles. The impact of financial barriers and gender roles seems to have become somewhat less influential. Religion and political preference have mostly stable effects.