Highbrow Culture Research Articles

Life criticism and De Quincey's ethical concern over the aestheticiability of murder

AbstractThe self‐reflexive tendency in De Quincey's seemingly Kantian aestheticization of murder allows some leeway in deciphering his underlying ethical concerns. As “On the knocking at the gate in Macbeth” shows, De Quincey engages in a special kind of life writing that can be termed “life criticism,” which is not naively referential but revelatory, translating the autobiographical records of memories, experiences, and emotions into mediatory possibilities for argumentative assessments of literary and aesthetic questions. James Wood's critiques function as a compelling touchstone of De Quincey's life criticism, exhibiting how self‐referential episodes, as both the starting and end points for literary criticism, can be incorporated into serious and illuminating theoretical interrogations. Through the new prism of De Quincey's habitual mode of life criticism, his aesthetics of murder can be interpreted as a meta‐reflection upon his literary experiences with Westmorland Gazette and Blackwood's Magazine. His awareness of the facile aestheticiability of murder in the periodical press has an obvious moral implication: it shows his self‐reflexive concern over the commercialized public taste that makes him torn between insisting upon classical highbrow culture and contributing sensational magazine reading matter.

The Structure of Social Capital and Cultural Participation: A Cross-sectional Study

This article examines the relationship between cultural participation patterns and access to social resources, proxied by the position generator tool. In addition, it asks to what extent social networks are class-homogeneous (closed) depending on the configuration of cultural practices. The survey results show that participation in highbrow culture is a more relevant predictor of access to higher prestige contacts than participation in popular culture. Both styles are related with the general volume of contacts and the heterogeneity of social resources. Moreover, the analysis indicates that the structure of social capital (i.e., the proportion of contacts with upper-, middle-, and lower-class members) is connected with pursuing different cultural profiles. The effect of network homogeneity is stronger for highbrow style than for any other style. The results are interpreted in terms of social closure and the role that culture plays in monopolizing access to social resources and maintaining social boundaries.

Abitudine, contingenza, oralità: per una letteratura “viva” a partire da Leopardi


 
 
 What is the relationship between habit and literary creativity? What role does the notion of habit play in the process of composition and, in general, in artistic productivity and the aesthetic experience? How do the terms habit and improvisation, habituation and contingency relate to each other? To answer these questions, crucial for aesthetics, this essay moves from the discussion of some significant passages in Giacomo Leopardi’s Zibaldone. On the one hand, the notions of habit and habituation will be discussed, understood – in the specific case of their application to poetry – as the poetic work of giving oneself a form; on the other hand, I shall analyze the notion of environmental or contextual contingency as the input that activates the poetic composition, in terms of a so-called “deliberate improvisation”. Against the background of these interconnected concepts the issues of the relationship between book and orality, performativity and recitation, lowbrow culture and highbrow culture will emerge, in a dense web of cross-references that defines, at least in its general lines, one of the axes of Leopardi's theoretical thinking around the 1820s.
 
 

A Theoretical Discussion of Changes in Youth Cultural Consumption

This paper aims to discuss the transformations observed in the cultural consumption patterns of the younger demographic, highlighting the substantial influence of age in the development of cultural capital. Prieur and other scholars stated that Bourdieus model of social space of capital composition, which the secondary axis he identified between individuals primarily possessing cultural capital and those primarily possessing economic capital is frequently complicated by age. The paper first provides a brief review of cultural capital established by Bourdieu. It then applies a theoretical discussion method to demonstrate how age is reforming cultural capital, accompanied by significant empirical research. Furthermore, due to the emerging distinctiveness, the paper discusses the changes in cultural consumption among youth. Finally, the paper concludes that: 1) Age forms distinctive preferences for cultural consumption among youth, with the influence of highbrow culture decreasing as the younger generation tends to embrace commercially oriented products; 2) The cultural consumption patterns of the younger generation are less conspicuous and less elitism.

Cultural withdrawal during COVID-19 lockdown: Impact in a sample of 828 artists and recipients of highbrow culture in Germany.

Dealing with arts is an important predictor for psychological well-being and health The implications of the standstill of public cultural life during the lockdown in Germany is studied among 828 producers (36%) or consumers (36%) of art, or subjects claiming both roles (28%), from performative arts, music, and other forms of cultural engagement Prelockdown frequency of visiting, respectively, acting at cultural events was on average 1 event every 8 4th day in the consumer group, 5 9 days in the producer group, and 6 1 days in the group claiming both roles Producers reported a loss of 1 active event every 4 8th day, the producer/consumer group each 6 1 days Receptive events cancelled during the lockdown hit all 3 groups comparably (1 event every 13 7th day) Existential threat or serious mood disorder was reported by less than 10% in all 3 respondent groups;38% of the consumer group reported no cultural withdrawal and even advantages Both other groups with active involvement in cultural events faced no negative (or even positive) impact in over 25% In a multivariate classification tree analysis, most prominently the size of receptive as well as active losses proved influential on successful coping Neither sociodemographic characteristics, nor living situation or health condition could be shown to exert a direct impact Precluding people affine to highbrow culture from attending seems to be an independent risk factor at least for well-being Potentially resulting mental health problems have to be carefully monitored during the ongoing pandemic (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

D. H. Lawrence’ın Lady Chatterley’in Sevgilisi Romanında Üst ve Alt Kültür İkilemi

Lawrence, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928), reflects the post-war modern British society which condemns its individuals into a psychological trauma of ongoing conflicts between different classes and cultures. Advocating the exigency of a classless society, Lawrence shatters the hegemonic ideology of the highbrow culture which disdains working class culture as vulgar, coarse and commonplace. Reacting against the cultural displacement of working classes who are considered as masses, Lawrence indulges in revealing the authenticity and earnestness of the working class culture. Lawrence’s depiction of an uncorrupt ethical standing of the working class culture is the negation of the concept of culture, associated with high class manners and ways of life. The prevailing concern of this study, therefore, will be to analyze Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover from the perspective of cultural studies to unravel the clash of high and low cultures in relation to the hierarchical class structure of the post-war England.

Culture and green tastes. A sociological analysis of the relationship between cultural engagement and environmental practices

In this study, we approach environmental practices from a cultural point of view, focusing on the role of cultural capital. While previous studies have looked at educational attainment, we focus on another dimension of cultural capital i.e., cultural engagement. Against this background, we use data from the Flemish Survey on Socio-cultural Shift to (i) examine cultural engagement and distinction in Flanders though multiple correspondence analysis and (ii) investigate the relationship between people's cultural activities and their environmental practices through structural equation modelling. Firstly, we found three modes of cultural engagement. The primary distinction resides between the culturally engaged and disengaged. The second and third respectively distinguish a traditional and folksy musical orientation from more contemporary and eclectic tastes, and highbrow culture from emerging forms of cultural capital. Secondly, our study confirms that education relates positively to environmental practices, and more importantly shows that educational differences in cultural engagement can explain educational differences in environmental practices. General cultural engagement was the best predictor of environmental practices. Highbrow cultural capital was positively associated with conspicuous forms of environmental practices (e.g., shopping). In contrast, a traditional and folksy musical orientation seemed negatively related to environmental practices. In conclusion, our findings present strong evidence for a (re)conceptualization of environmental practices as a cultural taste and a potential form of cultural capital. Our study suggests that future research on social differentiation and cultural hierarchies should pay more attention to environmental practices.

Cultural talk or cultural walk? Highbrow tastes and network quality

Although research shows that highbrow tastes correlate positively with network quality, we know little about why. We hypothesize that individuals need to manifest their highbrow tastes socially, for example via conversations about, or shared participation in, highbrow culture with network ties, for these tastes to enhance network quality and stability. To address this hypothesis empirically, we collected panel data in the Netherlands with information on individuals’ highbrow tastes, social manifestations of these tastes (highbrow talk and shared participation in highbrow activities with ties), and networks. We find that (a) highbrow tastes are positively associated with network quality and stability; (b) highbrow talk (but not shared participation) mediates part of this association; and (c) highbrow tastes and talk are positively associated with the quality of new and continued ties. Our results support the idea that social manifestations of highbrow tastes explain why highbrow tastes enhance network quality and stability.

Staging Depth: Eugene O’Neill and the Politics of Psychological Discourse

Staging Depth: Eugene O’Neill and the Politics of Psychological Discourse

Cultural reproduction in Finland: Symmetric intergenerational transmission of cultural orientations

Cultural reproduction has attracted the attention of cultural sociologists over the last few decades. While a body of research has shown that the orientation to highbrow culture is transmitted from parents to their children, research on the transmission of other cultural orientations has been scarce. In this paper, I study the intergenerational transmission of three cultural orientations—highbrow, popular, and crafts—in Finland. The data were derived from a nationally representative sample (N = 1425) surveyed in Finland in 2018, and it was analysed with regression techniques. For the respondent, I target current cultural participation, and for the parents I rely on retrospective data targeting joint cultural participation with the respondent during their childhood. I show that there is symmetric transmission of cultural orientation, namely that the respondent's current orientation is most tightly associated with the same orientation that they practiced with their parents, suggesting symmetric cultural reproduction in Finland. Additionally, parents’ overall cultural participation is associated with their children's overall cultural participation. I reflect on the findings in the light of past and current research on cultural practices and suggest directions for future research.

Alberto Cavallone tra divulgazione, mercificazione e provocazione

The work of Alberto Cavallone has never been properly studied by scholars. His low budget flicks had occasionally a little commercial success from 1968 (“Le salamandre”) to 1978 (“Blue Movie”). They deal with controversial topics – from homosexuality (both male and female) to decolonization – and show high ambitions and the explicit influence of Pasolini, Makavejev, Bataille and Fanon. Although overlooked by critics of their times for the cheap production values and the ambiguous exploitation of violent and sexual images, these movies show how certain themes could reach genre cinema, where a director like Cavallone could quote and remix highbrow culture with a baffling freedom.

Playing with stereotypes: Russia and the Russians in the animated TV series “The Simpsons” (1989-2020)

The subject of this research is the image of the USSR/Russia resembles in the popular animated TV series “The Simpsons” throughout the past 30 years, considering the method of translating information inserted in the media text, as well as the complexity/simplicity of decoding this information by the viewer, ambiguity/unambiguity of interpretations, etc. The TB series touched upon the following topics related to the USSR/Russia: immigration to the United States and life of the immigrants in the new homeland, the Cold War, Communism and anti-Communism, Russian culture, Russia as a rival of the United States. The author traces the dynamics, diversity, and specificity of covering Soviet/Russian theme for over 30 years in the context of the dynamics of relations between the Soviet Union/Russia and the West, including political, social, cultural, and other nuances. The author carries out a cross-disciplinary dedicated to the work of popular culture in the context of political history of the XX – early XX centuries. The novelty consists in revealing the main themes of the “Russian presence” in the TV series (based on the analysis of almost 700 episodes), and the way they are conveyed (leveling the established stereotypes or their debunking for the sake of countering manipulations with public sentiment). Impugning the statement that ideology of “The Simpsons” is purely neoliberal, the author draws a more complex and critical worldview of “The Simpsons” in with regards to American society. Russia holds a special place in this world due to complicated bilateral relations since the Cold War, which consequences are yet to be fully overcome. An ineradicable remnant of the Cold War is the link between Russia and Communism, in which “Communism” is a synonym of any dissenting view. Russia is also associated with a rich, although highbrow culture, unattractive to most of the ordinary citizens. The main satirical idea of “The Simpsons” is to emphasize the cultural dissonance, which intensifies the difficulties of mutual understanding based on political confrontation and remaining ideological prejudices.

Challenging Bourdieu’s Theory: Dialogic Interaction as a Means to Provide Access to Highbrow Culture for All

According to Bourdieu, class position is related to cultural capital, taste, and preferences. Accordingly, the author states that, because of their “habitus,” those from high social classes have higher cultural capital and preferences for highbrow culture, which gives them more chances to succeed in life. On the contrary, those from low social classes have lower cultural capital because of their lowbrow cultural preferences, which makes it more difficult for them to achieve in a system that favors the dominant classes. Through the review of articles on Dialogic Literary Gatherings published in peer-reviewed journals, this article aims to provide more insights on how the principles of dialogic learning occur. The results of the review challenge Bourdieu’s concept of “habitus,” providing evidence of how socioeconomic status (SES) is not determinant to cultural capital.

Sugimoto’s Middle Brow and the Collective Horizon

Is art for everyone? Although attendance at art galleries has risen rapidly at the start of the 21st century, so too has the price of art, and the perception that art is an object of conspicuous consumption. The current paper presents a discussion of the possibilities that the photography of Hiroshi Sugimoto offers an artistic oeuvre that countenances the current state of the art market and is open to the aesthetic appreciation of a broader audience. As middlebrow mode of cultural production (Bourdieu 1996), photography is an artistic form that most people are familiar with, rendering it a medium that is broadly appreciable as a form of representation of common and cross-cultural experience. At the same time, photography can also satisfy the demands of highbrow cultural interpretation, meaning that it can act as a locus of community that provides access for a range of people to other forms of artistic culture. In particular, it is argued that Sugimoto’s Seascapes present a particular body of work of a subject matter and style that can be appreciated by people of any sociocultural background. Further, the often-made comparisons between these images and Mark Rothko’s multiform, colour-field paintings may offer viewers a bridge between middlebrow and highbrow culture, which has become, since Rothko’s death, more conceptually and economically challenging for audiences to engage with and understand.

How insecure narcissists become cultural omnivores: Consuming highbrow culture for status seeking and lowbrow culture for integrity signaling.

How insecure narcissists become cultural omnivores: Consuming highbrow culture for status seeking and lowbrow culture for integrity signaling.

Live or recorded? Reassessing the “decline of the highbrow arts” debate using European newspaper data, 1960–2010

ABSTRACT Recent scholarship has argued that the concept of highbrow culture is undergoing radical changes, both in content and modes of appropriation. We introduce a new layer to this debate by bringing to the fore the format of the cultural product, distinguishing between “live” cultural products (concerts, exhibitions, live shows) and “recordings” (distributable items such as books or music albums). Using culture sections of newspapers (The Guardian, Le Monde, ABC, El País, Helsingin Sanomat, Dagens Nyheter) from 1960 to 2010 (n = 11,775) we ask what role the format of the cultural product plays for the highbrow/non-highbrow trajectories over time. We show that highbrow coverage faces a relative decline, mostly explained by the expanding non-highbrow arts coverage. Moreover, coverage on live events decreases, while coverage of recordings grows. This trend reflects the highbrow/non-highbrow divide, revealing that the “decline of the highbrow” phenomenon is under closer scrutiny a “decline of the highbrow live event”.

Playing a play: online and live performing arts consumers profiles and the role of supply constraints

In this paper, the relation between live and online highbrow performing arts consumption is examined. Specifically, we analyse whether restrictions on live cultural participation can be overcome by online consumption and the differences in the profiles of live and online consumers. To this end, using the Survey of Cultural Habits and Practices in Spain 2014–2015, two Bivariate Probit models using information about online and live consumption of highbrow performing arts in Spain are estimated. We separately analyse theatre and musical performing arts (ballet, opera, Spanish operetta and classical music concerts). Our results show that the profiles of live and online cultural consumers differ. However, we also find a complementarity effect between live and online consumption. Therefore, the online channel could be a valuable tool for spreading access to culture that might overcome some restrictions on live cultural participation, such as high prices and time constraints. Alternatively, if this is true only for people already consuming culture but not attracting new consumers, the online channel would help just to reproduce old patrons of inequality in cultural access but not to democratize highbrow culture.

The changing role of education as we move from popular to highbrow culture

Education is the socioeconomic variable that has the greatest impact on cultural participation. A higher level of education leads to greater interest and taste for culture increasing the demand of culture. But education can also indirectly affect cultural consumption because the higher the level of education, the higher the expected income and, therefore, the greater the cultural consumption. In this paper, we analyze the effect of education on cultural consumption once the impact of income is controlled for. Using information on attendance to cinema, performing arts and visits to sites of cultural interest, we analyze how the effect of education changes between these activities. To do so, we estimate a Zero Inflated Ordered Probit using the 2006 and 2015 Spanish modules of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions. We find that the effect of education varies between activities, being its marginal effect more relevant for highbrow activities than for popular culture. On the contrary, given a certain level of education, an increase in income will bring more people to the cinema than to theaters or museums. This result is consistent with the idea that highbrow cultural consumption involves the comprehension of more complex symbolic elements, and individuals’ decoding abilities depend more on education than on income.

Reserved and Irreverent. Some Considerations on Erving Goffman’s Ethnographic Writing Style

Discretion and irreverence are two generally recurrent features when one refers to Erving Goffman. Even if their juxtaposition seems unlikely, both characteristics are strictly connected: they reveal the distinguishing trait of Goffman’s sociological gaze. The aim of this paper is to consider discretion and irreverence not only as hallmarks of the public presentation of Goffman’s self, but as methodological choices in developing his unique ethnographic writing style. Comparing Goffman’s way of writing to classical ethnographic writings, one will realize that they are very different: Goffman’s ethnographies are definitely more discreet, but his discretion actually underlies an irreverent, critical and desecrating eye. Staying in the shadows and ‘watching how people snore’, Goffman leads an attack both on the taken for granted assumptions of traditional ethnography, and on hierarchies and legitimate boundaries between social worlds. He violates the boundaries between highbrow culture and lowbrow culture, between sociology and literature; but what is most disquieting, is his violation of the borderline that divides reality from fiction.

How class identities shape highbrow consumption: A cross-national analysis of 30 European countries and regions

Highbrow culture may not always be central to cultural capital and, in such circumstances, the distinctiveness of middle-class consumption of highbrow culture may diminish, becoming more similar to working-class patterns of highbrow consumption. Using data from 30 European countries, I explore this issue through examining three questions: 1) is class identity associated with highbrow consumption; 2) does this association vary across countries; and 3) is the relationship between class identity and highbrow consumption altered when the majority of people in a given society identify as either ‘working-class’ or ‘middle-class’? After accounting for other socio-demographic controls, people who identify as middle-class are more active highbrow consumers than those who identify as working class. Yet, the distinctiveness of middle-class consumption of highbrow culture varies across countries and is negatively correlated with how many people identify as working-class in a society. As more people identify as working-class (rejecting middle-class identities) highbrow culture less clearly distinguishes middle-class and working-class identifiers. In the absence of any class-structured divisions in highbrow culture, whether and how cultural practices function as a form of cultural capital is likely quite different, reinforcing the claim that the centrality of highbrow culture to cultural capital varies geographically.