Methodological and methodical features of studying the sphere of cultural consumption

Malinina Kristina Olegovna PhD in Sociology Leading Researcher; N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 249 Lomonosov Ave., Arkhangelsk, Arkhangelsk Region, 163001, Russia malinina.ciom@gmail.com

Introduction

The goal of the Russian state, according to the Fundamentals of State Cultural Policy, is "a strong, unified, independent Russia in all respects, committed to its own model of social development and at the same time open to cooperation and interaction with all peoples, states, and cultures." The basis for the realization of this goal is the consolidation of society, one of the most important factors of which is culture. The unification of Russian society, which is so necessary at the present historical stage, can be carried out on the basis of using the potential of national culture. Culture is the main tool for the transmission and reproduction of moral values, the source of the formation of civic identity. The cultural policy of Russia carries educational and educational functions. Through the mechanisms of inculturation, personality education is carried out. Outside of culture, it is impossible to improve the quality of society, achieve civic unity and common development goals. Accordingly, there is an obvious need to maximize the potential of culture in the process of personality formation and development of society.

One of the most important aspects of the potential of culture, in our opinion, is the sphere of cultural consumption. Its study and development is becoming especially relevant at the present time in connection with the changes taking place in the global public space. In this connection, there is a need to explore the sphere of cultural consumption, to identify the necessary vectors of its development.

Theoretical and methodological foundations of the study

Let's define the theoretical basis of the study. Let's consider the positions of researchers on cultural consumption issues and make a theoretical interpretation. Referring to terminological dictionaries ^[1],[2],[3], we see that the consumption category is always associated with the category of need. Consumption refers to the process of using labor products and services to meet the needs of the population.

In V. Korsunova ^[4] we find data that allow us to identify several basic approaches to the definition of cultural consumption:

1. Cultural consumption as a component of a lifestyle, which, in turn, depends on the class structure. In this approach, cultural practices and tastes are divided into "high" and "mass", where each element corresponds to a certain class (M. Weber ^[5], D. Cheney ^[6], E. Giddens ^[7], P. Bourdieu ^[8]).

2. Classification of adherents of high and consumers of mass culture, supplemented by another group - "omnivores" who demonstrate mixed preferences (p. Peterson and R. Kern ^[9]).

3. The concept of "gluttony" (O. Sullivan and T. Katz-Guerro ^[10]) goes beyond the opposition of "high—mass" culture, new criteria for differentiation are highlighted, such as the ethnic aspect (p. Trenekens ^[11]), cosmopolitan orientations (Z. Skrbis and I. Woodward ^[12]), the juxtaposition of public and private culture (X. Hans ^[13]), various forms of omnivore (K. van Eyck and D. Lievens ^[14]).

4. The concept of individualization of cultural consumption focuses on the study of individual elements of cultural consumption and their connection with the expression of one's own identity. According to this concept, cultural consumption does not have any structure and is not tied to a social group. Cultural products and activities are chosen by any individual depending on desire or necessity (Z. Bauman ^[15]). Such a choice can be associated not only with class and status, but also with any other forms of social differences, for example, gender, ethnicity, age (Yu. Beck ^[16]).

Thus, in scientific research on the topic of cultural consumption, this concept has not yet found a clear definition and unambiguous operationalization. Interpreting the concept of "cultural consumption" in general, we share the following point of view of V. G. Veledinsky ^[17], who understands cultural consumption as the use of society's achievements in the field of culture, presented in the form of socio-cultural (socio-cultural) services, to meet the socio-cultural needs of a person, social groups and society as a whole. As a necessary condition for cultural consumption, the production of socio-cultural services preceding consumption is highlighted, which creates the actual object for cultural consumption. However, it is worth clarifying here regarding the understanding of the category of "socio-cultural service". Turning to the classifications of services provided to the population, we see that socio-cultural or non-material services (as opposed to material ones) are understood to be services to meet the spiritual, intellectual needs and maintain the normal functioning of the consumer, ensuring the maintenance and restoration of health, spiritual and physical development of the individual, and professional development. Along with cultural services, socio-cultural services include medical services, cultural services, tourism, education, etc. ^[18]. Accordingly, with regard to the sphere of cultural consumption, we consider it advisable to narrow down the subject and consider cultural services or cultural services as the main condition for cultural consumption.

Let's turn to the history of the study of cultural consumption. M. Sokolov divides it into two periods – "before and after Pierre Bourdieu" (based on the materials of a public lecture by a professor on the topic "Cultural capital and social revolution. Participation in the cultural life of St. Petersburg"). He refers to the first period the works of the classics of sociological thought T. Veblen and N. Elias, the theory of mass culture, cultural industries. As a fundamental approach of this period, he highlights an attempt to identify the reflection of the worldview in the tastes of different groups or different eras, pointing out that the culture of industry projects common tastes and the worldview encoded in them to society as a whole. P. Bourdieu, according to the scientist, redefined what the sociologist had previously done with art. In the "post-Bourdieu" period, science began to be interested in how art works as an instrument of class exclusion. And today, according to the author, this is the dominant approach, which can be called an "instrumental understanding of art."

It is worth dividing the so-called "high culture" and "low culture" here. Thus, T. Eliot identifies the features of modern mass culture in the European culture of the middle of the XX century, stating its general decline, the loss of former moral and intellectual riches, as a result of universal standardization and a narrowly utilitarian approach to life, which, in his opinion, leads to the suppression of creativity in a person. T. Eliot ^[19] divided society into the spiritual elite, capable of cultural creation and the unenlightened mass, and believed that humanity could preserve creative energy only by overcoming "massification" and supporting the cultural elite ^[20].

High culture encompasses cultural objects of aesthetic value and intellectual works of literature and music, history and philosophy, which society collectively considers exemplary ^[21]. Also, high culture is called elitist, correlating it with privileged groups of society, and endowing it with such features as: closeness, aristocracy and value-semantic self-sufficiency ^[22]. "Low culture" is contrasted with "high culture" and denotes forms of popular culture that have mass appeal, in contrast to forms of high culture that are liked by a smaller part of the population ^[23]. However, in modern society, the boundaries between the elite and the mass are blurred, the cultural product is extremely diverse, accordingly, this division of cultural types is somewhat losing its relevance.

Let's turn to the issue of operationalization of the cultural consumption category. V. Korsunova ^[4] proposes to systematize research on the measurement of cultural consumption on the following grounds:

1. Cultural practices. Cultural consumption is operationalized through the following types of practices: sightseeing of historical sites, visiting museums and exhibitions, fairs, public lectures, as well as theater and music festivals (H. Lopez-Sintas and E. Alvarez ^[24]), visiting various events related to fine arts - art festivals, fairs, exhibitions, galleries and museums, events involving video or electronic art (T. Chen and J. Godthorpe ^[25]), visits to opera, ballet, musical performances, classical music and jazz concerts, theaters, dance performances, museums, fairs, sightseeing of historical sites (P. Dimaggio and T. Mukhtar ^[26]), etc.

2. Taste and preference. A number of researchers are studying the structure of cultural preferences through attitudes towards various types of cultural products. Establishing a link between cultural consumption and cultural capital allows us to understand the general level of cultural competence. Cultural consumption is operationalized through:

· musical preferences and knowledge of musical works (M. Emmison ^[27], J. Shepard ^[28], M. Savage and M. Gayot ^[29]),

· preferences in the visual arts and judgments about culture in general (p. Danekindt and H. Rosa ^[30], M. Bergman and K. Eic ^[31]),

· preferences in the field of literature (M. Sokolov, N. Sokolova, M. Safonova ^[32], T. Chen and J. Goldthorpe ^[25]),

· preferences within several practices (in music and television programs - O. Lizardo and S. Skiles ^[33], in literary and musical genres – S. Purkhonen, J. Gronov, K. Rakonen ^[34]).

Let's add to this classification the research of modern Russian authors, affecting the sphere of cultural consumption. Among them are A. Bokova ^[35], who considers cultural content as a tool for shaping community identity; A. Ushkarev ^[36], who studies the status motivation of art consumption; R. Abramov and A. Zudina ^[37], who identify such a group of the Russian population as "social innovators" and analyze their cultural and leisure practices; N. Bolshakov, A. Maksimova ^[38], presenting the results of the All-Russian study of the theater audience; K. Velikaya and E. Kruglova ^[39], studying the role of cultural consumption in shaping the social status of a modern student; A. Ya. Rubinstein ^[40], presenting the results of the first All-Russian sociological survey of theater audiences.

So, we see that there is no unambiguity and a unified position in the definition and operationalization of the concept of cultural consumption. However, a certain multiparadigmality is quite explicable by the volume and content of the very concept of culture, which leaves an imprint on all its components. By cultural consumption, we propose to understand the use of society's achievements in the field of culture, presented in the form of cultural services (cultural services), to meet the cultural needs of society. It is worth paying attention to the definition of "achievements of society in the field of culture", which (like "culture" itself) is ambiguous and has a deep, branched content, and, accordingly, may include not only outstanding and universally recognized works by artists, writers, directors, composers, but also such cultural products that are considered negative by a part of society. At the same time, cultural needs, for which the achievements of society in the field of culture are used, are aimed at personal development, self-realization, which, as is known, can also unfold in a destructive way. These issues undoubtedly require clarification and more detailed disclosure in subsequent studies of the sphere of cultural consumption.

Cultural services, in turn, are divided into two types: services of direct performers (actors, singers, etc.), provided specifically to the consumer (viewer, listener); services related to the development of cultural goods in a substantive form, services of libraries, cinemas, museums, art galleries, etc. Each cultural object is unique. A significant part of cultural goods has the property of inexhaustibility, therefore, they can be attributed to public goods. Along with the values of direct use (aesthetic enjoyment, knowledge acquisition, entertainment, self-expression), cultural goods have values that are not related to current consumption. This rule also applies to cultural goods that have the value of existence, the value of deferred benefit and the value of inheritance. People who currently do not consume cultural goods appreciate the possibility of their consumption in the future (the value of deferred benefit), appreciate the accessibility and diversity of cultural goods for their children and future generations (the value of inheritance). The cultural value of goods reflects not only their aesthetic significance (for example, the artistic form of an object, beauty, harmony), but also a number of symbolic and social aspects, therefore, when evaluating cultural goods, symbolic (ideas, meanings, impressions) and social values of cultural goods should be taken into account ^[18].

Research methodology

We propose to analyze the structure of cultural consumption based on the cultural needs of the population, as well as significant cultural events, events and institutions. We have developed a combined step-by-step methodology for sociological research of the sphere of cultural consumption in the region, which is based on a qualitative research paradigm and the method of expert interviews. The experts in this methodology are structured according to a four-level system.

Stage one: conducting an intelligence study to clarify the methodological features and testing the tools. Interviewing and the Delphi method were chosen as the research methods of this stage. The second method was used by us at this stage of the study, not as a predictive one, but as a way to clarify the wording of questions and deepen the data received from experts of the fourth level. Socially active citizens interested in cultural life can act as experts at this level.

Stage two: a survey of third–level experts - representatives of different areas of the cultural industry, which will improve the questionnaire and, if necessary, supplement the methodology with other research methods.

Stage three: a survey of second–level experts - heads of cultural institutions in the region.

Stage four: a survey of first–level experts - representatives of the Ministry of Culture of the region.

Stage five: based on the data received from expert groups of all levels represented, it is planned to organize an event among representatives of the Ministry of Culture of the region aimed at analyzing the situation in the field of cultural consumption in the region. This event is carried out on the basis of the method of group expert assessments - "brainstorming". Thus, the participants of the meeting generate ideas and determine the range of possible and most effective measures aimed at overcoming the "barriers" identified during the study in the field of socio-cultural development of the region.

The Delphi survey is conducted in two rounds with a preliminary stage of expert selection and definition of concepts. For the first round of the survey, a questionnaire is being developed to identify the main components of the city's cultural consumption sphere, according to experts, and evaluate them. In the second round, the survey participants are offered the combined data received from all experts, with a proposal to supplement or correct them.

The following components of the city's cultural consumption sphere are subject to evaluation: theatrical, musical, museum and exhibition, cinema, library, identified by us during an intelligence survey of experts. In addition, cultural events and attractions are additionally evaluated. The interpreted categories are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Diagram of the sociological profile of the structure of cultural consumption

Two questionnaires are used for interviewing, in order to select the most optimal version of the toolkit based on the results of intelligence interviews. The first questionnaire is being developed taking into account the opinions expressed by experts on each of the considered areas of cultural consumption. Informants are invited to evaluate each of the highlighted parameters, supplement, if necessary, or refute expert assessments and explain their choice. The second questionnaire does not include data received from experts. Questionnaires for experts of the first three levels are supplemented with managerial questions that allow to identify both shortcomings in the management of cultural institutions and identify the main "pain points" in the entire structure of cultural consumption.

Conclusion

So, during the analysis of scientific works devoted to the study of the sphere of cultural consumption, we came across a variety of points of view of researchers characterizing approaches to understanding this category. We concluded that there is no unambiguity and a unified position in the definition and operationalization of the concept under study, which is explained by the multidimensionality of the concept of culture itself. We have proposed a refined definition of the definition of "cultural consumption", understanding it as the use of society's achievements in the field of culture, presented in the form of cultural needs of society.

The methodology we have developed for studying the sphere of cultural consumption allows us to fully assess the existing structure and look at it both through the eyes of consumers themselves and those who are directly involved in the creation of cultural goods. In addition, the data obtained at each stage of the study provides material for further study of the field, predictive information, and also allows you to identify the most effective ways to solve emerging problems. Thus, this technique is interesting not only from the point of view of the development of scientific theories in the field of sociology of culture and related industries, but also practically applicable for both socio-cultural and socio-economic development of the region.