Conclusion

Abstract

Reading is an activity rich in cultural symbolism. This tends to be especially true of societies where a mass reading public is just emerging. In such cases, the educated classes, and those who aspire to join them, are concerned to construct a hierarchy of genres, publications, and even reading strategies. It is at this time, as we have seen, that the notion of ‘high’ culture becomes firmly established. All areas of socio-cultural activity and consumption become heavily ‘marked’, and reading is certainly no exception. The social significance of reading is further heightened by the relationship between culture and the market. Before the emergence of a mass public of consumers, the mechanisms that define the economic value of a cultural artefact are carefully controlled. When the mass public arrives, ‘high’ culture is constantly aware of the threat that the more profitable ‘mass culture’ will drive it out of business.