The selectiveness of inclusiveness

Exploring the influence of traditional religious visage on contemporary cultural tastes

Bibliographic Data

ID22463236
AuthorsWen Ma (0009-0008-3166-5976, Nanjing University), Ying Li (0000-0003-0678-9535, School of Management, University College London , One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA), Yunsong Chen (0000-0003-3799-0071, Nanjing University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Publication date2026-04-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Forces (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-7732 • E-ISSN: 1534-7605
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/sf/soag040
OpenAlexW7155208490
LanguageEN
References cited67

A substantial body of literature examines the cultural strength of religion, yet there is a scarcity of work exploring how religion exerts an impact on the broader population of a secular society. Focusing on contemporary China, this study examines the relationship between religious visage, measured by the cumulative presence of Buddhist and Taoist temples, and cultural inclusiveness, captured by cultural taste entropy constructed from 749,545,472 search indices related to 38,312 song titles. Panel analyses reveal contrasting effects: Buddhist visages are associated with more selective cultural patterns, whereas Taoist visages are linked to greater diversity in cultural tastes. This demonstrates that despite world religions’ doctrinal emphasis on inclusiveness, an inherent selectiveness can still impact cultural practices in secular lives through the broader cultural environment. By shifting attention from individual religiosity to the spatial presence of religion, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between religions and contemporary cultural practices in secular contexts.

Buddhism · Cultural diversity · Diversity (politics) · Population · Religiosity · Scarcity · Taste · Cultural Differences and Values · Religion and Society Interactions · Social and Cultural Dynamics

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