Sociological Perspectives

Mapping the association between social position and cultural disposition—“patterns of cultural choice”—is a long-standing practice in sociological research. These maps, often read in terms of “brow level,” concern primarily the question of what people choose, neglecting that of how they choose. I extend the analytic focus to take into account the co-constitutive roles played by classifying operations. Using the weighted multidimensional scaling (WMDS) method, I examine the musical preference data and show that it is not only what type of music the respondents choose but also how they choose that distinguish them. I find that varying combinations of multiple evaluation-distinction criteria are appropriated by different status groups, coalescing into three distinct clusters of sensibility. The findings and the elaboration of the notion of dual basis of taste help to put some of the theoretical as well as empirical issues in the field in perspective.

This article explores the effort of two cultural entrepreneurs to persuade members of the fine art world to appreciate quilts on purely artistic grounds. Mobilizing museum resources to effect this transformation involved strategies of discourse and display that invoked the modern eye, a way of seeing that privileges modernist aesthetic standards. By examining these strategies, a deeper understanding of how the modern eye is constructed by the cultural tools of the museum (for example, gallery space, photography, catalogs, critical writing) becomes apparent. This piece also considers the implications of the modern eye for how marginalized culture becomes “acceptable” in high culture contexts and the costs of invoking the modern eye as a means of enhancing cultural value.

This article discusses the role of meaning in the institutionalization of performance art between 1970 and 2000. Ethnographic field data and historical documents evidence the changing dynamics of the field. The definition held by members of a particular field determines, in part, the manifestation of that field. The meaning of performance art is described from the viewpoint of the participants. The process of institutionalization is shown as a paradox for American avant-garde art. Artists and venue providers seek to address these contradictions by democratizing the art form through embracing egalitarian curatorial practices and culturally diverse venues and nonart audiences. Thus institutionalization is a process of negotiation shaped by meaning as well as social structure.

The television situation comedy Will and Grace is notable as the first successful network prime-time series to feature gay characters in a gay milieu. The show's considerable popularity begs the question of how the show's gay sensibility and humor, particularly the gay trickster character, Jack, is received by a heterosexual audience. This article discusses the notion of gay humor, considers the show's history, analyzes several episodes, and scrutinizes the responses of 136 college students who watched the show. Viewers do not identify with Jack and regard him as the most frequent butt of humor on the show, but they also consider him the funniest character and, by a very slight margin, their favorite. Contrary to my original hypotheses, respondent characterizations of Jack tend to reflect appreciation for all aspects of his trickster personality, though his ostentatious sexuality tends to be ignored.

This article examines a postmodern construct of masculinity in which male identity is based on consumption, a traditional role for women, rather than production. Data for this qualitative content analysis were drawn from a sample of Men's Health magazine. Analysis of the front covers, stories and features, an advice column, and advertisements reveals a construct that I identify as “branded masculinity.” Branded masculinity is rooted in consumer capitalism wherein corporate profit can be enhanced by generating insecurity about one's body and one's consumer choices and then offering a solution through a particular corporate brand. The form of branded masculinity found in Men's Health constructs muscles combined with a fashion sense and the appearance of financial success as the necessary characteristics for a real man today.