I was impressed with the study because it contradicted Bourdieu's theory that economic position and taste practices are closely linked. Cultural practices function regardless of class, despite their involvement in social exclusion and division. Two key taste cultures were identified: 'inclusive' and 'restrictive'. Inclusive taste cultures were characterized by 'cultural omnivores', primarily from high-status groups, such as managers, professionals, and employers. They had a wide-ranging appreciation of both high and low cultural practices, removing the connection between high culture and high class and low culture and low class. Restrictive taste cultures were the opposite, with individuals with low education levels, rural or regional locations, and a predominantly male and older population (Van Krieken et al. 2016).
Bourdieu identifies four types of capital: economic, cultural, social, and symbolic. Cultural capital, acting as an independent resource, is crucial in media, social work, retail, and finance. Education is essential for social advancement, establishing social networks and informal cultural knowledge. People invest in cultural capital to establish economic capital, highlighting its importance in today's society. Emmison argues that the culturally mobile, who are knowledgeable about different cultural practices, have a competitive edge over the 'culturally sedentary' due to their ability to navigate the same cultural universe as those who enjoy them, primarily drawn from professional groups. For example, progressive feminists were predominantly educated young women, while conservative pro-marketers were primarily from older, least-educated community members, managers, and employers (Van Krieken et al. 2016).
References:
Van Krieken, R, Habibis, D, Smith, P, Hutchins, B, Martin, G, & Maton, K 2016, Sociology. Pearson Education Australia.
Recently, I watched a Vietnamese TV show named “Hanh Trinh Ruc Ro”, which is an entertainment program that explores and celebrates Vietnam's history and culture through group travel, featuring famous artists and fun games. It aims to ignite national pride and appreciation for the homeland. It is a wonderful TV show because it not only can raise the awareness of Vietnamese about Vietnamese culture and traditions but also promotes travel activities and attracts more international tourists to Vietnam. I was been impressed with this gameshow due to the great interaction between the cast and the guests as they had good interactions, participated enthusiastically in each challenge, and brought a lot of emotions to the audience.
We can take “Hanh trinh ruc ro” as an example. Even though, this gameshow has attracted a lot of viewers who want to find a show to relax after a hard-working day. Moreover, it provides stunning and expertly shot videos of the Vietnamese countryside and highlights distinctive aspects of the native way of life. With this group of audiences, “Hanh trinh ruc ro” can be considered as “good taste”. On the other hand, some of the audience felt annoyed with the advertising which interrupted their mood throughout the show. In addition, the program was very pointless since the laughter it generated was only the members' shared sense of humour; it didn't convey any deeper meanings like sarcastic comedy. Therefore, “Hanh trinh ruc ro” can be considered as “bad taste”
