Rhythms of identity : musical omnivorousness, cultural capital, and social stratification through SEM analysis

Abstract

In recent decades, a dominant hermeneutic approach in the study of taste has been to conduct a parallel analysis on distinctions in social demographics and human experiences. Taste then, particularly musical taste, is socially construed, influenced by the rapid digitisation of mass media, and externally imbued aesthetic dispositions resulting from personalised upbringings, early exposures, and economic and financial conditions. In this dissertation, a survey was designed with the aim of understanding the general musical taste profile of the Maltese population, pointing at disparities between those who listen to a variety of musical genres (musical omnivores) and those who restrict themselves to just a few (musical univores), whilst also commenting on cultural capital and motivations for listening to music. Additionally, focus is placed on current and childhood exposures to music, studying whether surrounding communities or, on a more pedagogical note, educational institutions, condition one’s tastes in any particular way. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Reliability Analysis were employed on the survey data obtained, revealing a nine factor internally consistent solution. This factor structure was further validated by a well-fitted Confirmatory Factor model (CFI: 0.962, TLI: 0.956, RMSEA: 0.057, SRMR: 0.093). Structural Equation modelling was then utilised, pointing at interesting covariances and predictive effects of certain demographic variables (e.g. sex, age, education) and musical omnivorousness (the number of genres one enjoys) on the factors attained (e.g. cultural participation, appeal to classical and opera, childhood exposure to music). Goodness of fit tests indicated that the structural equation model fits well (CFI: 0.943, TLI: 0.958, RMSEA: 0.048, SRMR: 0.097), suggesting that social stratification with respect to tastes and lifestyles is indeed tenable. In order to methodically point at differences in musical tastes and tendencies between those with high musical omnivorousness (listen to three or more genres) and those with low musical omnivorousness (listen to two or less genres), a Multi-Group Structural Equation model was developed (CFA: 0.969, TLI: 0.978, RMSEA: 0.046, SRMR: 0.108). Although similarities were observed across the groups, vastly distinct covariance and regression structures were obtained, with certain tendencies of each group deviating from the normative behaviours observed in the total sample.