Accessing recorded music: Interpreting a contemporary social exchange system

Grounded in how individuals access recorded music, we have developed a comprehensive description that classifies social exchanges aimed at accessing cultural resources and that also clarifies the forces that shape individual choices regarding particular social exchanges. We also highlight the exchange properties that socially integrate and classify individuals in a social context. Our analysis integrates, but also demonstrates as misleading, recent interpretations regarding the sharing of cultural resources as a gift or consumer-to-consumer system, suggesting instead a correspondence with generalized exchanges. Finally, we discuss the implications of our interpretation for the dematerialization of cultural resources.