Angèle Christin

Department of Sociology
angelec@princeton.edu

Angèle Christin is currently interested in the comparison of highbrow musical tastes and participation in the arts between the United States and France. Using several years of data from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts for the U.S. (1982, 1992, 2002, and 2009) and the Enquête sur les Pratiques Culturelles des Français for France (1981, 1988, 1997, and 2008), her research addresses the debate between the evolution of the "distinction" process versus the appearance of "omnivores." The concept of "distinction" was developed by Pierre Bourdieu. Drawing upon French data, Bourdieu concluded that high-status people with highbrow tastes are snobbish and shun popular culture. In contrast, the "omnivore" theory was elaborated by Peterson et al. by drawing upon American data. They emphasized that highbrow people are more tolerant and "omnivorous" in their tastes than other respondents. There has been no direct quantitative comparison between these processes in France and the U.S.  The research fills this gap and also examines the success of both countries' attempts to provide wider access to high culture by increasing public subsidies to cultural institutions. (2009)