In this paper, we examine how status affects cultural organizations’ willingness to challenge the dominant logic of status distinction in their field by raising the unconventionality of their repertoires. We hypothesize that opportunities for middle status organizations to improve their status position serve as strong incentives to violate dominant status-based expectations and raise the unconventionality of their repertoires. We also predict that the risks of status loss and commercial failure that stem from similar actions are major constraints upon the willingness of high and low status organizations to program unconventional operas. Concealing unconventional repertoires under conventional forms or visual appearances (aesthetic conventionality), however, increases their freedom by promoting the legitimacy of their offerings, thereby protecting their position in the status hierarchy from the social penalties that arise from repertoire unconventionality. A statistical analysis of Italian opera house repertoires from 2004 to 2011 strongly supports these hypotheses.

This article examines how status affects the willingness of cultural organizations to challenge the dominant logic of status distinction in their field by raising the unconventionality of their repertoires. The author hypothesizes that opportunities for middle-status organizations to improve their status position serve as strong incentives to violate dominant status-based expectations and raise the unconventionality of their repertoires. The author also hypothesizes that the risks of status loss and commercial failure that stem from similar actions are major constraints on the willingness of high-and low-status organizations to program unconventional operas. Concealing unconventional repertoires under conventional forms or visual appearances (aesthetic conventionality), however, increases their freedom by promoting the legitimacy of their offerings, thereby protecting their position in the status hierarchy from the social penalties that arise from repertoire unconven-tionality. A statistical analysis of the repertoires of Italian opera houses from 2004 to 2011 strongly supports these hypotheses.

How Status Affects the Unconventionality of Opera Repertoires: Conflicting Criteria for Status Distinction, Aesthetic Conventionality and Repertoire Nonconformity in Italian Opera

Cancellieri, G.
2020-01-01

Abstract

This article examines how status affects the willingness of cultural organizations to challenge the dominant logic of status distinction in their field by raising the unconventionality of their repertoires. The author hypothesizes that opportunities for middle-status organizations to improve their status position serve as strong incentives to violate dominant status-based expectations and raise the unconventionality of their repertoires. The author also hypothesizes that the risks of status loss and commercial failure that stem from similar actions are major constraints on the willingness of high-and low-status organizations to program unconventional operas. Concealing unconventional repertoires under conventional forms or visual appearances (aesthetic conventionality), however, increases their freedom by promoting the legitimacy of their offerings, thereby protecting their position in the status hierarchy from the social penalties that arise from repertoire unconven-tionality. A statistical analysis of the repertoires of Italian opera houses from 2004 to 2011 strongly supports these hypotheses.
2020
23
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
2.IJAM_How Status Affects the Unconventionality of Opera Repertoires.pdf

non disponibili

Descrizione: Articolo su rivista internazionale
Tipologia: Versione dell'editore
Licenza: Accesso chiuso-personale
Dimensione 312.55 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
312.55 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in ARCA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10278/3724797
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 0
social impact