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Eger and Hjerm's methodological critique of our 2016 study of Americans' sentiments towards the nation asserts that the latent class (LCA) models employed in our paper did not fit the data and that consequently, the paper fails to demonstrate the existence of multiple varieties of American nationalism. We challenge E&H's analyses and argue that their conclusions stem from erroneous assumptions, both about our models and about best practices for applied LCA‐based research. Based on a review of their results and additional analyses carried out with their preferred measures, we demonstrate that our model choices were justified and our 2016 findings are robust. In so doing, we offer a critique of unreflective adherence to inappropriate model fit criteria that ignores theory and concerns over the parsimony, interpretability, construct validity and external validity of model results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of U.S. high school students surveyed by Project Talent in 1960 and followed up 11 years later showed that familiarity with and interest in high culture has a significant positive effect on educational attainment, college attendance, college completion, graduate attendance, and marital selection for men and women. (Author/RM)

Proposes a framework for analyzing the relationships between social structure, patterns of artistic consumption and production, and the classification of artistic genres. Societies' artistic classification systems vary along four dimensions: differentiation, hierarchy, universality, and boundary strength. These are affected by social structure characteristics, organization of educational systems, and internal relations among cultural dimensions. (KH)

Visitors to museums and audiences of live performing arts tend to be better educated, of higher occupational standing, and more affluent than the general populace. Recent trends indicate that expansion in the scale of arts activities and government subsidies has not been accompanied by a democratization of cultural consumption. (Author/EB)

Reviews research indicating that formal educational attainment is the major predictor of a person's involvement in the arts and cultural activities. Speculates on the importance of aesthetic education to the individual's intellectual development and economic welfare. Looks at the school's role in providing equal aesthetic opportunity. Proposes further research questions. (SJL)

This paper reports findings on the relationship between cultural capital and students' high school grades. Cultural capital, an aspect of status culture participation, is defined as an instrument for the appropriation of socially determined symbolic wealth. Findings indicate that the impact of cultural capital on grades is significant but varies according to gender. (Author/GM)

VISUAL SHOCK: A HISTORY OF CONTROVERSIES IN AMERICAN CULTURE BY MICHAEL KAMMEN Alfred A. Knopf, 450 pages, $35.00 GOOD AND PLENTY: THE CREATIVE SUCCESSES OF AMERICAN ARTS FUNDING BY TYLER [...]