Sociology
Cultural Omnivorousness and Contemporary Class Boundaries
Quick fact
Research shows that contemporary high-status individuals are more likely to be cultural omnivores—embracing both high and low culture—than to be cultural snobs who reject popular forms, marking a shift from exclusion to inclusion as a status strategy.
Why this is interesting
You probably know someone who loves indie films, classical music, and trap music all at once. But did you know that this eclectic taste might be a quiet way of signaling social status?
Read the full explanation
Understanding Cultural Omnivorousness and Contemporary Class Boundaries
Imagine a class boundary as an invisible line that separates social groups. For much of the 20th century, that line was drawn by highbrow snobbery: only the elite appreciated classical music, fine art, and gourmet food, while popular culture was dismissed. But in recent decades, researchers like Richard Peterson noticed something fascinating: members of the upper-middle class now proudly enjoy a wide range of cultural forms—from opera to heavy metal, from art-house films to reality TV. This is cultural omnivorousness. Rather than rejecting popular culture, they embrace it, but they do so in a particular way. They might enjoy both a symphony and a hip-hop album, but they still demonstrate their cultural knowledge by the way they discuss both—showing comfort and competence across genres. This breadth itself becomes a new marker of status, because it signals that you have the time, resources, and cultural skills to move easily between different worlds. So the boundary isn't gone; it has just moved. Instead of "what you like," it's now "how many things you can appreciate and how well you can navigate them."
A deeper explanation
The mechanism behind omnivorousness as a class boundary lies in its use as a form of cultural capital. In Bourdieu's classic theory, cultural capital—knowledge, tastes, and behaviors acquired through socialization—was tied to highbrow culture, creating a clear hierarchy. But as access to high culture broadened, elites needed a new way to distinguish themselves. Omnivorousness accomplishes this in two subtle ways. First, it requires a kind of cosmopolitan openness and the ability to appreciate diverse cultural forms on their own terms, which itself is a learned skill. Not everyone can genuinely understand and appreciate both a Schoenberg opera and a punk concert. Second, the omnivore must display this breadth with the right disposition—curiosity, tolerance, and confidence—without appearing to be a mere consumer of everything. This ability to 'code-switch' between cultural worlds is a form of virtuosity. Thus, while omnivorousness appears inclusive, it actually creates a new symbolic boundary between those who possess the cultural knowledge and flexibility to be omnivorous and those who are limited to a narrower repertoire. The boundary is now drawn not by what you exclude, but by what you can include and how gracefully you can navigate it. This shows that class distinctions persist, but they have become more subtle and more centered on cultural flexibility than on simple snobbery.