Some Remarks about Cultural Things : Legitimacy Theory and French Theatre.

This presentation is an attempt, to the re-examination of the instruments that sociologists use, often in a routine manner, to describe the coexistence of the different cultural forms present simultaneously in a given society. It reconsiders the interpretative systems that we have resorted to in order to analyze the diversity of cultural products and their corresponding consumption styles by relating them to a symbolic domination theory based on the observation of the existence of a legitimacy scale. The example of theatre can be usefully called upon for putting the legitimacy theory to the test. In fact, theatre remains the very heart of what we call the “most legitimate cultural practices”. Originally conceived as a war machine against middle class theatre (the art of compromise and postprandial sleepiness), theatre resulting from the “service public” project, by the references it brings into play and by the spectator discipline it implies, is far nowadays from a form of popular culture. But it is still referred to such a notion. Such a paradox is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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