Differentiation of series and tastes for TV series: The French case

Abstract

In the field of cultural practice, TV series emerged in the 1990s as a radically renewed cultural object and has met a growing audience. Much has been written about the renewal of the genre, but little, thus far, about the sociology of its viewership. Based on a representative survey of the practices and preferences of French adults, conducted in 2017, this article assesses the hypothesis of a differentiation of taste and practices for TV series. It draws on a factorial analysis and a hierarchical classification of TV series to examine the factors structuring this practice. It appears that the practice of series articulates three kinds of differentiation: by series (long tail), by uses (television vs new media), and by tastes (socio-existential questioning expressed by the age and socio-political anchoring of viewers).

Social Space as a Theory of Society: Scientific Arguments Regarding the Figuration of the Social in Bourdieu’s Distinction

“…Recent studies have not managed to replicate the structuring of the social space in terms of the ‘volume’, followed by the ‘structure’ of economic and cultural variables, but in terms of diploma followed by age (Bonnet et al, 2015: 103, 105–107; Combes and Glevarec, 2021; Coulangeon, 2013: 188; Glevarec and Cibois, 2020; Glevarec and Pinet, 2017; Glevarec et al, 2020). The results do not confirm the two axes of the social space; for example, for ‘cultural space’ in the UK, the first axis ‘of cultural commitment’ is linked ‘to income and to a lesser extent to professional groups’ while the second, which pits ‘classical and intellectual taste’ against ‘emerging cultural capital’, is ‘mainly associated with age’ (Savage et al, 2015: 190–192).…”

Kolejny przypadek dystynkcji? Oglądanie telewizji a przestrzeń społeczna w Polsce

“…Generowanie przychodu z subskrypcji uwalnia serwisy od konieczności koncentrowania publiczności dla reklamodawców, a szeroka dystrybucja sprawia, że nawet niszowa oferta znajduje swojego odbiorcę (Anderson 2008). Desynchronizacja nadawania i odbierania skutkuje różnorodnością oferty programowej, jeśli chodzi o gatunek, liczbę sezonów, długość epizodów oraz różnorodnością praktyk odbiorczych (media, moment, towarzyskość, długość kontaktu) (Combes, Glevarec 2021). Wskazuje się na wykształcenie konsumenta aktywnego (prosumenta), który sam konstruuje swoją własną "ramówkę", aniżeli zdaje się na agendę ustanowioną przez nadawcę (Siuda 2012).…”

Digital Narratives During the Pandemic: TV Series, Social Media, and Conversations on the Internet

“…Referring to TV series, transmedia stories must be understood within the framework of the changes made by Internet and digital platforms in the media context. New ways of viewing series arise, summarised by the maxim of anywhere, anytime, any device ( Combes and Glevarec, 2020 ). The traditional television and, with it, the shows which were introduced in the form of soap operas ( Piñón, 2019 ) have been forced to redefine their nature, triggered by technological changes.…”