The changing vogue of calendar art among the middle class in urban India
By: Mukherjee, Anirban
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Material type: 
BookPublisher: Man In India Description: 100(3-4), 2020, p.157-172.Subject(s): Calendar art, New middle class, Cultural capital
In:
Man In IndiaSummary: This paper attempts to understand the perception of the new middle class urbanites towards printed calendars and their varied motifs in the current zeitgeist of smartphones and digital calendars. While the existing literature focus on contextual variance of calendar art motifs, they broadly overlook the ‘volition’ of consumers in the choice of calendars. This is so because the existing studies are mainly based on calendars received complimentarily and not on calendars purchased out of one’s choice. This research therefore explores calendar choice preference among the new middle class urbanites, who have a sufficient level of disposable income in their hands to buy calendars. The findings challenge the myth of calendar choice homogeneity among the middle class and the dominance of religious/ traditional motifs in calendar markets reflect the choice of the consumers. The research observes the existence of differentiated calendar market catering to various segments of the middle class population. Calendar thus serves as utility items for the lower middle class and as beautification prop for the new middle and upper middle class. Additionally, while the lower middle class are found to be univore (use the traditional and religious calendars received complimentarily) in their calendar use, the new and upper middle class are reported to be omnivore by virtue of heterogeneity of calendar choice varying in taste and style. Equipped with sufficient amount of disposable income in hands, the new middle class choose calendars that are maverick and their choice cannot be clubbed under a single genre. Stated differently, the calendar choice of the new middle class is abstract and unpredictable and is an amalgam of the classic and avant-garde art forms. The paper therefore adds to the homology thesis of Pierre Bourdieu by pointing out that there can be heteromorphic relation between people’s class affiliation and aesthetic preference. This study was qualitative in nature; open ended interviews were conducted with the calendar designers, sellers, middle class urbanites in Lucknow City and content analysis of varied calendar motifs were undertaken. – Reproduced
| Item type | Current location | Call number | Vol info | Status | Date due | Barcode |
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | 100(3-4), 2020, p.157-172 | Available | AR125419 |
This paper attempts to understand the perception of the new middle class urbanites towards printed calendars and their varied motifs in the current zeitgeist of smartphones and digital calendars. While the existing literature focus on contextual variance of calendar art motifs, they broadly overlook the ‘volition’ of consumers in the choice of calendars. This is so because the existing studies are mainly based on calendars received complimentarily and not on calendars purchased out of one’s choice. This research therefore explores calendar choice preference among the new middle class urbanites, who have a sufficient level of disposable income in their hands to buy calendars. The findings challenge the myth of calendar choice homogeneity among the middle class and the dominance of religious/ traditional motifs in calendar markets reflect the choice of the consumers. The research observes the existence of differentiated calendar market catering to various segments of the middle class population. Calendar thus serves as utility items for the lower middle class and as beautification prop for the new middle and upper middle class. Additionally, while the lower middle class are found to be univore (use the traditional and religious calendars received complimentarily) in their calendar use, the new and upper middle class are reported to be omnivore by virtue of heterogeneity of calendar choice varying in taste and style. Equipped with sufficient amount of disposable income in hands, the new middle class choose calendars that are maverick and their choice cannot be clubbed under a single genre. Stated differently, the calendar choice of the new middle class is abstract and unpredictable and is an amalgam of the classic and avant-garde art forms. The paper therefore adds to the homology thesis of Pierre Bourdieu by pointing out that there can be heteromorphic relation between people’s class affiliation and aesthetic preference. This study was qualitative in nature; open ended interviews were conducted with the calendar designers, sellers, middle class urbanites in Lucknow City and content analysis of varied calendar motifs were undertaken. – Reproduced
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