A Sociology of Culture, Taste and Value

This book explores sociological debates in relation to culture, taste and value. It argues that sociology can contribute to debates about aesthetic value and to an understanding of how people evaluate.

Stewart's book is an accessible guide to the sociology of culture that takes us from Weber to issues surrounding globalisation and value. It offers a critical account of some of the central ideas of the discipline and opens up a space for new sociological enquiries that may be more attentive to the phenomenal forms of taste. (Ben Highmore, New Formations, Vol. 86, 2015)

"Throughout the chapters of this book, Stewart elegantly puts forward his ideas as he discusses the work of key cultural theorists and sociologists Pierre Bourdieu, Theodor Adorno, Zygmunt Bauman, to name but a few. Drawing inspiration from these theorists, Stewart contributes to the debates about Sociology and aesthetic value and in doing so he emphasizes other values besides the economic." Cultural Sociology

"This timely volume is a well-rounded reappraisal of taste's sociological function [...] the author's in-depth knowledge of the overlapping principles in processes of rationalization, globalisation and cultural capital lead to a thought-provoking and insightful challenge to long held cultural assumptions that test the boundaries of our subjective leanings." - LSE Review of Books

"This finely written book provides an excellent overview of culture from the sociological perspective. It outlines the theories of culture central to the discipline, and does so with clarity and sophistication. It should be of great use to both students and specialists."- John Carroll, Professor of Sociology, La Trobe University, Australia

"In this carefully written book, Stewart embarks on a creative exploration of the work of leading theorists of social organization and culture to probe the interconnections between taste, value, and globalization. Readers will be thoroughly engaged by this comprehensive and original integration that breaks new ground for the discipline."- Denise Bielby, Professor of Sociology, University of California, USA

Autorentext
Simon Stewart is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He is the author of Culture and the Middle Classes.

Inhalt

1. Culture in a Rationalizing World 2. The Fate of Cultural Values 3. Why Do We Like What We Like? 4. Expressing Taste 5. Evaluating Culture 6. Culture in a Globalizing World 7. The Local on the Global Stage