Social Space and Cultural Attitudes: Sociodemographic and Ideological Factors in the Debate over Cultural Legitimism and Populism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5477/cis/reis.195.79-102Keywords:
discourses on culture, cultural legitimism, cultural populism, social factors, ideolgoy, far rightAbstract
Discourses defending or criticizing the cultural sphere have long been central to public debate, addressing its civilizing role in national cultures and the tension between cultural elitism and populism. Since the work of Pierre Bourdieu, these opposing positions have generally been interpreted as reflections of individuals’ positions in social space, the volume of capital they possess and especially the composition of that capital. This article examines this phenomenon in Spain using survey data from the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) to analyze the relationship between social position, ideology and attitudes toward culture. The findings highlight the need to revisit Bourdieu's framework by emphasizing the polarization between legitimist and populist discourses, as well as the association of the latter with far-right positions.
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