本文由社會學的觀點，將文學由生產到消費過程視為一種社會制度，探討此制度之中人力與資源的組織方式。一九八0年以前的台灣，手且書店的普遍存在使純文學與通俗文學之間有明顯的組織上的區隔及價值判斷上的不同。八0年代以來，文化工業的興起帶來中上層文化的擴張，也模糊了純文學與通俗文學的分野，純文學與高級文化失去了以往一元文化體系中的優勢地位。本文由此而探討知識份子、學院、文化工業的三角關係:是街突、對抗、殊死戰，或是合作共謀?

This paper argues from an institutional perspective that the distinction between serious literature and popular literature is a function of the changing modes of literary production， distribution， and consumption. Before the 'SOs， the existence of book rentals had served as an easy marker that differentiated popular literature from serious literature. Since the 'SOs， the emergense of the culture industry has expanded the scope of upper-middle culture， thus bringing about the blurring of boundaries between high culture and popular culture. Serious literature has lost its dominant position and has to compete with the proliferation of new cultural genres and products. This article further explores how the changing relationship between high culture and popular culture affects intellectuals' positions and engages them in a symbolic power struggle against the culture industry.