Cultural omnivores or culturally homeless? Exploring the shifting cultural identities of the upwardly mobile

The concept of the cultural omnivore has become increasingly influential in cultural sociology. Its proponents argue that it has become a badge of honour to be eclectic in one's cultural preferences and not be seen as a “snob”. It is even argued that omnivorousness provides a new source of social and cultural capital, enhancing one's ability to communicate with diverse groups and nurturing greater political tolerance.Drawing on a large-scale survey of British comedy taste and 24 follow-up interviews, this paper challenges existing representations of the omnivore. Among comedy consumers, I find omnivorousness only within one social group—the upwardly mobile. However, the life histories of these respondents reveal that omnivorousness is more a by-product of life trajectories—whereby lowbrow comedy taste is established during childhood but highbrow tastes are added as cultural capital grows. Significantly, though, this combination of tastes has more negative than positive implications, leaving mobile respondents uncertain of their cultural identities. While they lack the “natural” confidence to communicate legitimate tastes as embodied cultural capital, they are also acutely aware that their lowbrow tastes are considered aesthetically inferior. In short, these comedy consumers are culturally homeless, caught with one foot in two different taste cultures.

► Argues omnivorousness may be more the result of mobility than purposeful eclecticism. ► Argues omnivorousness often yields more negative than positive social implications. ► Questions Bourdieu's notion of a singular unified habitus.