Sociology of consumption: the case of cultural non-participation

Riie Heikkilä

Chapter 5 in Research Handbook on the Sociology of Consumption, 2026, pp 76-85 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter puts forward core concepts and theoretical frameworks regarding cultural participation and non-participation, which we know are culturally stratified: high-status people participate most. Most operationalizations of cultural non participation close to sociology of consumption are based on the lack of formal highbrow participation, but recent studies have broadened their scope to consider “everyday participation”. Empirically, the chapter draws on two case studies, the first quantitative and the second qualitative, on cultural non-participation in Finland. The quantitative analysis is based on two sets of nationally representative data, and finds that cultural and everyday participation accumulate to the same active people. The qualitative analysis is based on interviews with people whose background factors predict low cultural participation. The results confirm previous findings: while all interviewees demonstrate some form of cultural participation, polarization exists between those who are active regarding many pursuits and those who defiantly distance themselves from institutionalized cultural involvement.

Keywords: Cultural participation; Cultural non-participation; Cultural policy; Cultural stratification; Everyday participation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035310500
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