Socioeconomic Diversity in the Arts: The Underrepresentation of Working-Class Individuals in Creative Industries

Abstract

This study examines the persistent underrepresentation of individuals from working-class backgrounds in contemporary creative industries. Drawing on interdisciplinary research across sociology, cultural studies, and economics, it analyzes both structural and cultural barriers that prevent socioeconomic diversity in artistic fields. The research identifies five key mechanisms of exclusion: financial barriers to entry, cultural capital deficits, network disadvantages, class-based discrimination, and self-elimination. Findings indicate that despite the arts' progressive self-image, they remain among the most socioeconomically exclusive professional domains. The paper concludes with policy recommendations and practical interventions at institutional, educational, and governmental levels that could meaningfully address class-based exclusion in creative sectors. This research contributes to a growing body of scholarship on inequality in cultural production and argues that meaningful diversity in the arts must include class alongside other dimensions of identity.