Globalization and Omnivorousness: Analysis Based on East Asian Social Survey

• In Event: 3551 - Section on Sociology of Culture Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: 3. Cultural Taste and Omnivorousness

Abstract

Most of the previous research on cultural taste supports class determinism. However, rapid cultural flow following globalization makes it possible for consumers of different classes to access various cultural products, which declares the failure of class determinism in cultural taste. The paper proposes the regional shift and the classificatory shift in taste research. It also examines the effect of globalization on cultural taste through “horizontal” and “vertical” omnivorousness in East Asian societies. The study finds that: (1) social class fails to predict cultural omnivorousness; (2) individuals with higher level of globalization have a wider range of cultural taste; (3) the process of globalization on national level encourages people to appreciate various cultural products. The discussion on the effect of globalization on cultural omnivorousness in East Asia helps to better understand patterns of cultural taste in a globalized context.

Author

• Shichao Du, University at Albany, SUNY