"All books are equal, but some books are more equal than others" : En studie om hur fältet för god litteratur ser ut baserat på jurypriser och publikomröstningar (2022 - 2024)

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates how literary status, and what is viewed as “good literature”, is classified in the field of literature. The field is constructed by 138 book titles which have been nominated by four literary prizes. Comparing three jury prizes: the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Booker Prize, and the National Book Award with user-voted Goodreads Choice Awards between the years 2022 to 2024, the study explores the structures, patterns, and oppositions that define "good literature". Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory and the concept of mediatization and media logics, the study utilizes a quantitative content analysis of the nominated novels. Through a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) the literary field is created consisting of two main dimensions: an autonomous versus heteronomous pole, and consecrated versus avant-garde positions. The results further reveal that the field consists of three groups or “clusters”, two autonomous and one heteronomous. The autonomous groups favor symbolic capital and traditional consecration, whilst the heteronomous group is heavily influenced by digital capital and media logics. Mediatization thus allows the creation of new cultural intermediaries to legitimize literature (such as algorithms and social media users). Through a qualitative deepening of six authors from the three groups, the study investigates how demographics differ between them. The study contributes to the field of Media and Communication Studies by demonstrating how literary quality is a socially and, crucially, medially produced measure rather than an inherent trait. It highlights evolving power dynamics between institutional authority and audience participation in the digital age.