Konsumpcja kulturowa jako manifestacja statusu. Od determinizmu klasowego do wszystkożerności
Cultural Consumption as a Status Manifestation. From Class Determinism to Omnivorousness

Summary/Abstract: The paper examines consumption (especially cultural consumption) as a way of manifesting social status. The author derives from ideas of Pierre Bourdieu. He discusses the basic notions of his theory, including habitus, and presents his idea of class determination of consumption. This concept is contested or at least revised in contemporary sociology. His opponents claim that consumers of high status are culturally “omnivore”, in opposition to the position of the French sociologist expressed in his book “Distinction”, which emphasized the exclusive nature of their consumption. The thesis of the “omnivorousness” grew from the critical review of Bourdieu. Its early proponents, like Richard Peterson, in the 90s of the twentieth century have given empirical verification of findings of Bourdieu. The results of the research led to the substantial revision of theses stated in the famous book by French sociologist. The author of this paper provides further arguments in favor of “omnivorousness” of high status consumers, illustrating this concept with observed examples or cases obtained from desk research.

• Details
• Contents