[TheOtherHobbes]

+1 for Bourdieu. I think everyone should read him.

I thought he was particularly interesting on music. You might expect the upper classes to be opera buffs and experts on classical music. But in fact he found that the middle classes used a knowledge of classical music as evidence of aspiration.

The upper classes sometimes used opera as a status marker, but were more likely to enjoy undemanding music, like easy listening and musicals - presumably because they felt they had nothing to prove.

Interestingly, median prices for a stadium show by a mainstream act are higher than tickets for most seats at the Royal Opera House.