Some 40% of the population is now made up of cultural eclectics, followed by a third that are inactive in cultural activities, and a third that follow “high culture” such as going to the theatre, concerts or museums, the survey found.
The study was conducted by Sebastian Weingartner of the Statistical Office of canton Zurich, and Professor Jörg Rössel of the University of Zurich. It was published in the journal Social Change in SwitzerlandExternal link.
“While the culturally inactive dominated the 1970s, the eclectics are now the largest group,” the authors of the study wrote. The share of “high culture fans” has also increased, they say.
The study looked at 12 cultural activities of which “six correspond to a model of high culture and six to a model of popular culture (such as watching television, listening to the radio or attending a sporting event)”, they explain. According to cultural habits, the Swiss population was classified into three categories: the inactive, the eclectic or cultural “omnivores” and the high culture fans.
The first group “hardly participate in culture, except for television and radio”. The latter “mix very different cultural activities, such as a rock concert and an art museum”, while the third group “engage mainly in high culture and do so in a particularly intensive way”, according to the study.
While level of education influences cultural engagement this does not apply to high culture activities, the authors note. “These are now more age-dependent and have increasingly become the domain of older categories,” they write.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss watch industry calls for ‘clear solution’ with US
This content was published on
Federation of the Watch Industry calls for clear solution to tariff threat and a swift agreement between Bern and Washington.
Swiss youngsters illegally obtain alcohol in a quarter of test purchases
This content was published on
In a quarter of all alcohol test purchases last year, young people in Switzerland were able to obtain beer, wine or spirits illegally.
Swiss storm damage more frequent and more expensive
This content was published on
Storm damage has increased by 126% in the last ten years. Costs have risen by 133% in the same period, according to Helvetia Insurance.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss culture bailed out to the tune of CHF500m during pandemic
This content was published on
The Swiss cultural sector received more than half a billion francs from the federal and cantonal authorities to help it cope with the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
This content was published on
An official information brochure has listed the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Swiss culture sector last year.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.