Musical Distinctions in England – Understanding Cultural Homology and Omnivourism through a Methods Comparison

Abstract

P. Bourdieu’s homology thesis and R. A. Peterson’s cultural omnivourism have particularly captured the attention of scholars on cultural stratification. Research has supported one hypothesis, the other, or both simultaneously. Meanwhile, a question remains unanswered: do different statistical methods offer consistent results? This article reviews and compares several methodological frameworks published over the last 30 years. The wide range of alternatives has sometimes generated contradictory results. English musical taste and distaste indicators from the Cultural Capital and Social Exclusion project (CCSE) are analysed. Through direct comparison of statistical methods, it is demonstrated that results are consistent and complementary. Moreover, it is argued that there is no ideal methodological blueprint.