Social class and cultural mobility - Reconfiguring the cultural omnivore thesis

This article explores the idea of 'cultural mobility' both as a way of thinking about the polarizing logic of class relations and practices in contemporary society and as a means by which the debate over the cultural omnivore might be advanced. The concept of cultural mobility refers to the differential capacity to engage with or consume cultural goods and services across the entire spectrum of cultural life, an ability which is itself premised upon an unequal, class-related distribution in cultural competence. Cultural mobility, then, is the ability to move at will between cultural realms, a freedom to choose where one is positioned in the cultural landscape. I argue that the concept provides fertile ground for exploring possible interconnections between a number of divergent strands in current social theory which have largely developed independently of each other. At the same time much of this theoretical effort remains divorced from concrete research agendas. Using data collected as part of a major study of Australian cultural consumption, the article provides a case study of cultural mobility and its class moorings which serves to clarify some of the existing confusions concerning the cultural omnivore.

Wonder Down Under: Australian sci-fi 1948-52

Moral guardians, industry protectionists and concerned citizens (each with their own political agendas) had, or many years, lobbied various Ministers of Customs to regulate the offensive material which flooded the local market-the war effectively opened a protectionist climate in which the local publishing industry nourished (Johnson-Woods Pulp Friction). Though westerns dominated at first, science fiction (i.e., futuristic stories, alternative histories, space exploration, time-travel past and future ) soon followed. Within the decaying and yellowed pages, contemporary readers have a glimpse into the culture of the 1950s and, amusing though some of the predictions are, the cultural and social critic gains some understanding of the anxieties and desires of post-World War II Australia.

Developing a research framework for understanding the social realities, with special reference to Sri Lankan entrepreneurs

This paper identifies and examines issues of relevance for increasing effectiveness of entrepreneurial management research. These issues emerged from research into entrepreneurial behaviour and underlying motivations in Sri Lanka. Understanding of socially- and culturally-bound social actors, social actions and social outputs in entrepreneurial activity requires context-sensitivity, expressed through cognisance of institutional characteristics, the interface between cultural values and business, and historical and cultural forces which impact on entrepreneurship. We suggest that this requires exploration through bottom-up translations of actions consistent with the beliefs and values of the actors involved, employing qualitative methodology to ground the reality of human behaviour in deep-rooted cultural and social contexts. Thorough interpretation of holistic case studies that are capable of capturing the actors' viewpoints brings appropriate insights to the field of entrepreneurship.