Paul DiMaggio

Paul Joseph DiMaggio (born January 10, 1951, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)[1] is an American educator, and professor of sociology at New York University since 2015.

[2] DiMaggio's major works have been in the study of institutions and organizations and the formation of "high culture" in the U.S. His recent research explores social inequality in the Internet.

DiMaggio argues that, unsettled by the weak class distinctions in growing industrial cities, local elites created a "sophisticated" culture (via the arts, universities, social clubs, and the like) that would separate commoners from those of high standing.

DiMaggio says that "high culture" models developed by founders of museums and orchestras were then adopted by patrons of opera, dance, and theatre.

DiMaggio believes that this difference is the result of the so-called digital divide - inequalities in Internet usage by race, income, and education level.