TY - JOUR AU - Schlütz, Daniela M. AU - Emde - Lachmund, Katharina AU - Scherer, Helmut AU - Wedemeyer, Jonas PY - 2018/01/01 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Quality TV and Social Distinction: An Experiment on How Complex Television Series Valorize Their Users JF - Series - International Journal of TV Serial Narratives JA - SERIES VL - 4 IS - 2 SE - Culture / Reception / Consumption DO - 10.6092/issn.2421-454X/8216 UR - https://series.unibo.it/article/view/8216 SP - 61-75 AB - This paper addresses the question as to whether serial quality TV has the potential to valorize its fans. We draw on Bourdieu’s theory of distinction, assuming that demonstrated preference for a specific cultural taste has consequences for the attribution of capital endowment overall, and especially within an adept group. These assumptions are tested via a 3 (preference for high-culture vs. conventional television vs. quality TV series) x 1 online experiment with between subject design plus control group (N = 389). Results showed that conspicuously favouring serial quality TV has the potential to function as a distinctive sign – at least to some extent. Significantly more cultural capital is ascribed to a quality TV fan than to a person showing a preference for conventional television. Within a certain group of connoisseurs, a quality TV taste is even worth as much as a preference for high-culture. Implications are discussed with regard to the theory of distinction and quality TV series as the object of investigation. ER -