Practices and Trajectories: a comparative analysis of reading in France, Norway, Netherlands, UK and USA

Practices and Trajectories: a comparative analysis of reading in France, Norway, Netherlands, UK and USADale Southerton, Wendy Olsen, Alan Warde, (all at University of Manchester), & Shu-Li Cheng (Institute of Statistical Science, China) PRE-PROOF VERSION – ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION IN JOURNAL OF CONSUMER CULTURE 2013AbstractUsing time diary data to examine practices of reading, this article examines trajectories of change within five countries in the last quarter of the 20th century. It employs a conceptual framework, derived from theories of practice, to illustrate their application in a quantitative and comparative analysis of change in patterns of consumption. Analysing recruitment and defection, the multiplication and diversification of reading-related practices, and the presence of distinct enthusiast groups leads to the rejection of popular claims that the practice of reading is in decline and that this might be a universal process across societies characterised as having ‘advanced reading cultures’. Critiques of cultural homogenisation in the context of global consumer cultures are also corroborated. Also, a conceptual and methodological framework for the application of practice theories to the analysis of consumption and social change is advocated.