The Portal to a Magic World. An Alternative Model of Introduction to Art

Abstract

The problem of introducing a person to art and cultural activity is one of the key issues in understanding the social functioning of art. The generally accepted view is that the process of socialization and enculturation is most effective in early childhood, resulting in a high level of cultural activity in the future. However, the later this process begins, the more difficult it is, and the more effort may be required to catch up. This pattern is explained in P. Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and has been repeatedly confirmed by empirical studies on art audiences conducted in Russia and abroad. Meanwhile, in the course of recent research it has been discovered that in some cases a person’s introduction to art can follow a different course. The path from a neophyte, i.e. a viewer newly introduced to theatre, to an active theatregoer is not necessarily associated with “long-term dispositions of the mind and body, self-sacrifice and efforts on oneself” [Bourdieu, 2002, р. 61]. New empirical facts force us to take a fresh look at a seemingly familiar issue and put forward an alternative model of a person’s introduction to art. The study allows us to conclude that many of those people for whom contacts with ‘high art’ are not yet part of their leisure activities cannot be considered lost for theatre.

Keywords

• theatre
• audience of art
• consumption of culture
• cultural activity
• empirical research
• audience reproduction
• status and symbolic motivation