Breaking the Structural Reinforcement: An Agent-Based Model on Cultural Consumption and Social Relations

Theorists since Marx, Bourdieu, and DiMaggio have asked how individual choices on cultural preference interact with collective social network structure. The rise of media in today’s communication landscape motivates us to take a closer look at the involved dynamics. We designed an agent-based model explore different behavioral principles for choice communicative affiliation affect (1) consumption patterns, (2) segregation, (3) resilience emergent dynamic during exogenous distributions. analyze influence agency structure, vice versa, by simulating agents who pursue elite or popular culture, while communicating others based homophily randomness. Our method allows go beyond specific constellations realm theoretically possible combinations. then used disturbance culture cost test found that only societies where economic factors drive consumption, increased access can lead reorganization reduce segregation between groups. This is because provides opportunities connect other groups opens window mixing. end discussing our inform diverse set empirical research questions, including markets media, digital divide, split free misinformation established news outlets.