Back to the original omnivore: On the artefactual nature of Peterson’s thesis of omnivorousness

Abstract

Abstract Developed by Peterson in the early nineties, the thesis of omnivorousness involves a profound transformation of the principles thought to structure the distribution of cultural tastes and consumption. More specifically, this thesis posits that eclectic dispositions have replaced snobbish inclinations among high-status people. While the influence of this thesis has been important in the field over the past two decades, Peterson eventually questioned the reliability of the research literature dealing with omnivorousness. Notably, he raised the possibility that the thesis of omnivorousness may be grounded in a mere methodological artifact. In the present article, I examine such a possibility by focusing on potential flaws that may affect Peterson’s studies. Based on theoretical analyzes as well as empirical investigations, I point out the inconsistencies of Peterson’s operationalizations of omnivorousness, the poor association between taste and consumption in the data that the author mobilized, the arbitrariness of the musical hierarchies that he created, and the lack of validity of Peterson’s main findings regarding the dynamics of omnivorousness over time. All in all, this study supports the “artefact hypothesis” formulated by Peterson and invites investigators to be cautious when theorizing and contextualizing omnivorousness.