Glevarec, Hervé
Cultural acquisition and inheritance: Determinants and modes of acquiring cultural practices in contemporary France
- 2025.
89
How are cultural practices acquired? Several theoretical models, both temporal and modal, contribute to the explanation: socialization, formal education, and self-education. The first identifies childhood and family background as the foundation and main driver of future practices. The second places greater emphasis on academic training, particularly that acquired through higher education. The third concerns the practice itself—self-education throughout one’s life. Drawing on data from the 2018 national survey on the cultural practices of French people and those reported at age twelve, this article assesses the explanatory value of the first model. Finally, it revisits the notion of “socialization” and its explanatory hegemony in considering modes of acquisition such as formal education and attendance.