Mads Meier Jæger and Stine Møllegaard
Sociological Science May 23, 2022
10.15195/v9.a11
Abstract
Theories in sociology argue that family background and individual experiences shape cultural tastes and participation. Yet, we do not know the relative importance of each explanation or the extent to which family background operates via shared genes or shared environments. In this article, we use new data on same-sex monozygotic and dizygotic twins from Denmark to estimate the total impact of family background (genetic and environmental) and individual experiences on highbrow and lowbrow tastes and participation and on omnivorousness in music and reading. We find that family background explains more than half of the total variance in cultural tastes and participation and in omnivorousness. Moreover, family background operates mainly via shared genes, with shared environments shaping cultural tastes to some extent, but not cultural participation. Our findings support theories claiming that family background is instrumental in shaping cultural tastes and participation but highlight the relevance of distinguishing genetic and environmental aspects of family background.
Theories in sociology argue that family background and individual experiences shape cultural tastes and participation. Yet, we do not know the relative importance of each explanation or the extent to which family background operates via shared genes or shared environments. In this article, we use new data on same-sex monozygotic and dizygotic twins from Denmark to estimate the total impact of family background (genetic and environmental) and individual experiences on highbrow and lowbrow tastes and participation and on omnivorousness in music and reading. We find that family background explains more than half of the total variance in cultural tastes and participation and in omnivorousness. Moreover, family background operates mainly via shared genes, with shared environments shaping cultural tastes to some extent, but not cultural participation. Our findings support theories claiming that family background is instrumental in shaping cultural tastes and participation but highlight the relevance of distinguishing genetic and environmental aspects of family background.
 | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |
- Citation: Jæger, Mads Meier, and Stine Møllegaard. 2022. “Where Do Cultural Tastes Come From? Genes, Environments, or Experiences.” Sociological Science 9: 252-274.
- Received: January 19, 2022
- Accepted: March 16, 2022
- Editors: Arnout van de Rijt, Jeremy Freese
- DOI: 10.15195/v9.a11
On the theoretical framework, did the researchers consider psychology literature on ‘Total impact of individual experience’s? These are situated well in Strong Structuration theory by Rob Stones when you consider ‘internal structures’ and phenomenology literature.
We did not, but this is a great idea for a better understanding of what the “individual experiences” variance component might capture. Thank you!