Journal Article

Insiders, Outsiders, and the Struggle for Consecration in Cultural Fields: A Core-Periphery Perspective

Ferriani, Simone, Allison, Paul D., Cattani, Gino

2014

Overview

Building on recent research emphasizing how legitimacy depends on consensus among audiences about candidates' characteristics and activities, we examine the relationship between cultural producers' (candidates) position in the social structure and the consecration of their creative work by relevant audiences. We argue that the outcome of this process of evaluation in any cultural field, whether in art or science, is a function of (1) candidates' embeddedness within the field, and (2) the type of audience—that is, peers versus critics—evaluating candidates' work. Specifically, we hypothesize that peers are more likely to favor candidates who are highly embedded in the field, whereas critics will not show such favoritism. We find support for these hypotheses in the context of the Hollywood motion picture industry.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,Sage Publications,American Sociological Association
• Subject: Audiences / Bias / Buildings / Business / Candidates / Center and periphery / Consecrations / Consensus / Creative work / Creativity / Culture / Embeddedness / Film criticism / Film editing / Film industry / Film producers / Film sequels / Legitimacy / Motion picture directors & producers / Motion picture industry / Motion pictures / Movies / Peers / Social networking / Social Structure / Social structures / Sociology / Sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture / Sociology of leisure and mass culture