Popular culture, music and social differentiation: A research on symphonic music listeners in Eskişehir

This research aims to examine the listening and consuming habits of symphonic music audience, from the sociological point of view. Nowadays, the way the members of a social group consume/listen to music; determines their social status, prestige and position in the group. On the other hand the listening manner of different social groups is also building up the distinctions among these groups. This study tries to show ways in which these distinctions and borders between different social groups are occurred in the manner of their symphonic music listening habits. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used together during this survey. 30 people from symphonic music audience who attended a concert of Eskişehir Symphonic Orchestra are covered in this survey. The data about the musical culture, preferences and life styles are collected through semi-structured interview form. Similarities between the social profiles of the symphonic music listeners are elaborated. It appears that all the interviewers are born and grown up in urban areas. It seems, neither the listeners nor their families are related with music in an amateur or professional manner. The survey shows us that the audience have got lack of knowledge about symphonic music, partitions, composers and soloists. It seems that they attend symphonic music concerts routinely. In order to enhance their own cultural capital, the symphonic music listeners tend to attend the symphonic music concerts. The internet applications of which the participants are able to reach and through which they listen to music, are highly identical. It is also observed that symphonic music audience listen various types of music in their daily life. It is obvious that the participators are to some extent, being affected by popular music. Keywords: sociology of music, symphonic music, popular culture.