Sociology about Art: An Introduction to How Sociologists Study the Arts

For sociologists, making, distributing, and using art and cultural products constitute social practices, yet, sociologists disagree on how to investigate these practices. Organised around three main schools of thought – critical sociology, symbolic interactionism, and social systems theory – Sociology about Art serves as an introduction to, and a self-reflective discussion about, how sociologists study the Arts.

Providing a wide spectrum of approaches in art sociology, the book focuses on examining not only the famously cited theorists (notably Bourdieu, Becker, and Peterson) but also offers an overview of the sociologists who are often overlooked (Hennion, Heinich, Luhmann, and Van Maanen, among others). In presenting these various approaches, the crux of discussion concerns the status of art in sociological analyses. Following a critical assessment of the classical theories and assessing the risks of failing to observe the function of art, the authors contend that the perspective on art works, their forms, affordances, and meanings, can and should be integrated into sociological research for it to become a sociology that is truly about art.

A vital resource for students seeking to understand sociological discourses surrounding art and set up their own research projects, Sociology about Art will appeal to scholars and students of sociology with interests in the arts and cultural policy.