The factors affecting music listening habits from the sociological perspective: Bolu province example

The individual who exists within society acquires the culture of his environment by socializing. Many preferences, which the individual presumes to be subjectively his tastes, he actually gets from the social stratum. This study is based on sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's opinions regarding social stratification and tastes. According to Bourdieu, the main determinant of the differentiation of cultural preferences, including musical preferences, is social class culture and belonging. The idea of challenging the validity of the argument in Turkey, according to the social belonging previously mentioned and especially with the idea that social class positions are determinant in the formation of cultural tastes in general and musical tastes in particular, was the starting point for the thesis. Within the scope of the research based in Bolu province center, by processing the data obtained from 313 respondents, 134 of whom were female and 179 male, through the SPSS program by calculating data frequencies and percentages and by performing two-variable analysis and a chi-square test, findings have evolved to a level that can be interpreted. In consideration of the data obtained, it was concluded that social belonging has an effect on the cultural tastes of the individual. Keywords: Bourdieu, Social Stratum, Culture, Taste Culture, Music, Musical Preference, Social Class.