Summary
Our food, values, music, and fashion, among other things done by human beings, are a reflection of the social space. Both the rich and the poor, the young and old, are all influenced by social settings they live in. individuals are influenced by what they mastered while growing through adulthood. Global internet connection has also created a more extensive and broader social space that has shaped most youths. Many of the youths adopt their music, food, and fashion from online social platforms. The poor, as well as the rich, are also influenced by their social settings. Habitus is a facet of the social space that determines the taste embodied in people. Practical habits assumed by a given section of the society influence the fashion, food, and music of a given social space.
Taste is a Reflection of Social Space
Our taste in music, food, fashion, and many other things is a reflection or shaped by the social space. This is observable at all levels of life, from the poor to the rich, and from young to old. Most empirical and theoretical studies up to date are still in support of Bourdieu’s work (Holt, June 1998). These studies note that it is a social space where one lives and not personal preferences that shape an individual’s tastes towards food, music, and fashion. Youth well versed in internet issues tend to interact on social platforms. They use their phone connected to the internet to socialize with the world, which is connected all over. Nowadays, geographical distance is no longer an issue. These youths hook on social networks; they interact across a wide section, as they share interests. Due to internet connections, most youth’s taste is determined by the people they interact with and share information frequently. This shows how social space easily influences people’s tastes in various areas of life, including fashion, food, and music. Apart from youths with the capability to connect to the internet, those who do not have phones that can connect to the internet are shaped by society and the people around them. The music they spend most of their time listening to is what shapes their tastes. They also tend to prefer food that their parents raised them with as they grow older to start their own families. For that case, most individuals, whether poor or rich young or old, are at a larger percentage shaped by their social space experiences.
As individuals grow old, some remain poor while others prosper and become rich. The poor individuals are majorly shaped by society and the people they interact with. Most of them develop societal slogans such as ‘that life is not for us’ (Ihlen, 2005). They assimilate what most people in their social space do. The clothing fashion that they spent most of their time putting on is what makes their taste. The food they see most people eat in society is what their primary diet remains in the future. The societal music beats, for instance, jazz that they hear most their neighbors play, is what they develop as their taste. When the poor rise in financial status, most of them remain with the character, they had adopted in their childhood and the life they lived during the tough times. The taste of music, food, and fashion they develop in their social space remains with them even if they migrate to other states. For instance, an African who finds a greener pasture in America will maintain most of his or her social preferences; however long they may stay in the USA. For instance, they will find USA food, clothing, or music not so compatible with them. The rich likewise tend to practice more of what they pick from their suburban surroundings. They tend to behave like their fellow class members they interact with most of the time.
The habitus concept also tends to shape an individual’s taste towards given music, fashion, or foods. People who practically do things for more extended time tend to have these habits shape their tastes. What a person habitually does most probably become embodied in them and hence making their tastes. For instance, most of those living in South America have the habit of eating fried foodstuffs. For example, fried food, chicken, tomatoes, and fish have influenced most of them (Lizardo, 2004). This can be proved by the high number of coronary artery diseases and hypertension patients from South America. This, therefore, shows that habitus is also a major influence on what individuals do. The habit then extends to the broader societal space hence ultimately defining the taste of people. Social class has also made the rich develop given habits. Because they have money, they tend to buy specific fashion of clothes, eat particular food frequently and not others (Lizardo, 2004). Additionally, the high class develops a habit of listening to certain music. When frequently practiced, these habits shape their taste in food, music, and fashion, among other life issues.
Reference
Holt Douglas B. (June 1998). Does Cultural Capital Structure American Consumption?
Oxford University Press. Journal of Consumer Research , Vol. 25, No. 1 (June 1998), pp. 1-25.
Lizardo, O. (2004). The cognitive origins of Bourdieu’s habitus. Journal for the theory of social behaviour, 34(4), 375-401.
Ihlen, Ø. (2005). The power of social capital: Adapting Bourdieu to the study of public relations. Public Relations Review, 31(4), 492-496.