Definitions HQ

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a class-based phenomenon: What people accept as legitimate taste is not genuine good taste but rather the taste of the ruling class.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a key mechanism for organizing the distribution of symbolic resources... as such it is an important part of social reproduction.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠always primarily determined through negation, more through disgust than liking. This would also mean that the 'push' exercised by the lower classes is stronger than the positive 'pull' of the upper strata.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an effect, not of individual perception or innate ability, but of social processes.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠both a product of our class backgrounds, a marker identifying our class difference from others, and also a mechanism which helps to maintain social divisions between and within classes.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its own kind of 'invisible hand,' directing the efforts of individuals toward their significations of class differences without any reflection on their part, seemingly without the ability to change the signification of anything simply through their choice or use of particular objects.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not an ever-changing subjective set of preferences... it is, rather, a way to position oneself in relation to others by acquiring and displaying cultural products.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not determined by individual preferences, but largely through a process of socialization which is internalized in a way which ensures that we 'forget' the social learning of taste.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not only socially constructed but it is constructed through membership of a particular habitus located in the hierarchy of class relationships.

Taste (n.) implies ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠distaste, symbolic acts of humiliation and degradation through which the social hierarchy is reinforced.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the appropriation of a set of classified (or classifying) objects (or practices) that become the formula of life-style (i.e. A unitary set of distinctive preferences) which only partially becomes conscious.

Taste (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the basis of all that one has people and things and all that one is for others, whereby one classifies oneself and is classified by others.