Boundary tastes at work: the gendered effect of authority positions in the workplace on taste in clothing and food

In this article, we test three hypotheses about the gendered effect of authority positions in the workplace on tastes in the areas of food and clothing. We use the micro-interactionist model of Randall Collins to formulate new hypotheses on the development of aesthetic and practical taste patterns, as described by Pierre Bourdieu. This leads to the following hypotheses: (1) people in superordinate positions will develop more aesthetic tastes; (2) men in subordinate positions will develop more practical tastes; and (3) women in subordinate positions will develop more aesthetic tastes. Our results show that there is a significant effect of being in a superordinate position on food preferences but not on clothing preferences. Among people in subordinate positions, women score higher than men on a fashion taste in clothing, lower on practical taste in clothing, and lower on a conventional taste in food

The importance of economic, social and cultural capital in understanding health inequalities: using a Bourdieu-based approach in research on physical and mental health perceptions

In this article we adopt a Bourdieu-based approach to study social inequalities in perceptions of mental and physical health. Most research takes into account the impact of economic or social capital on health inequalities. Bourdieu, however, distinguishes between three forms of capital that can determine peoples' social position: economic, social and cultural capital. Health research examining the effects of cultural capital is scarce. By simultaneously considering and modelling indicators of each of Bourdieu's forms of capital, we further the understanding of the dynamics of health inequalities. Using data from a large-scale representative survey (N = 1825) in Flanders, Belgium, we find that each of the forms of capital has a net effect on perceptions of physical and mental health, which persists after controlling for the other forms of capital and for the effects of other correlates of perceived health. The only exception is that the cultural capital indicators are not related to mental health. These results confirm the value of a Bourdieu-based approach and indicate the need to consider economic, social and cultural capital to obtain a better understanding of social inequality in health

'This one at least means something' : a quantitative approach on studying aesthetic development of secondary school pupils

The current research contrasts two views on the development of aesthetic expectations: the first is derived from socialization theories of art perception based on Bourdieu’s cultural reproduction model, the second from stage-models of psychological aesthetic development and neuroscience. Both views try to answer the question of which criteria are used to judge art, and what the interpersonal differences in these used criteria are based on. These alternative views are contrasted by studying the aesthetic development of secondary school pupils. Relevant aspects of art socialization, stage-perspectives on aesthetic development and art evaluation are combined in a quantitative multi-track model in which we disentangle complementary and superseding relations. We use surveydata of 346 Flemish secondary school pupils visiting an art museum in a school trip. This specific age category - 12 to 18 - is especially relevant to study early development in aesthetical expectations and evaluations. Aesthetic development is operationalized as three factors derived from eleven likert items measuring aesthetic expectations and evaluations: (1) a base-order track focusing on beauty, representation and harmony, (2) an emotional evaluation track and (3) a contemplative track consisting of the need for fantasy, novelty and reflection. Using MANCOVA, we, furthermore, assess effects on factor scores of sociodemographic variables, education level and prior art museum experience. The aim of this paper is to complement the class-based literature on aesthetic development by psychological and neuroscientific insights on this topic. This can deepen our understanding of aesthetic development, modes of art consumption and art education