European inventory of
societal values of culture

DEMOCRATISATION OF CULTURE

The concept ‘democratisation of culture’ came about as part of substantive political changes aimed at achieving a more evolved democracy after WWII. It was formulated in 1959 and put into practice by the French Ministry of Culture, headed at the time by the famous writer André Malraux. The idea behind the concept was that the insufficient development of cultural needs and habits in a wider population was caused by their being denied the opportunity to encounter works of art and high culture in general. Hence, the aim was to provide equal opportunities for all citizens to participate in publicly organized and financed cultural activities. This was expected to eventually lead to the development of their cultural needs and habits.

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CULTURAL DEMOCRACY

The concept ‘cultural democracy’ (or ‘cultural pluralism’) was formulated for the first time in the now already classic work of Augustin Girard and Geneviève Gentil ‘Cultural development: experiences and policies’, published in 1972. According to Matarasso and Landry (1999), this concept has its roots in several 19th-century cultural movements as well as inter-war initiatives in working communities. But the blurring of boundaries between elite and popular culture in the 1960s and, in particular, the activities of the counter-cultural movements in this period played a crucial role in its establishment.

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ACCESS TO CULTURE

Access to culture is a human right. Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits”. This right was also indicated in Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966/1976).

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DIGITAL LITERACY AND DIGITAL DIVIDE

The relationship between digital literacy and inequality is multifaceted and profoundly affects various aspects of modern life. In the digital age, essential services, job opportunities, educational resources, government services, health facilities, and cultural offerings are increasingly accessible online. However, individuals with strong digital literacy skills are better equipped to take advantage of these opportunities, while those lacking such skills may be left behind. The increasing digitalisation of society exacerbates the digital divide, where people with limited access to digital technologies or inadequate digital literacy face significant disadvantages.

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DIGITAL INEQUALITY, DIGITAL DIVIDE

In an increasingly digital world, we are confronted with new and reinforced inequalities that exclude and disadvantage parts of our societies. These new inequalities are determined by access to the internet, engagement with digital media, and the skills to navigate the plethora of available digital devices, platforms, and services. Scholarship has been exploring the digital forms of inequalities since the mid-1990s, and the discussion frequently centred on the notion of a ‘digital divide’.

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EQUAL PAY (pay gaps, unequal labour)

‘Equal pay’ has become a classical issue in the discussions on the need for a more social Europe. These discussions centre on the reduction of pay gaps between men and women but also relate to the issue of unpaid labour in some sectors of activity, including creative industries and culture.

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DECENTRALISATION

Decentralization is one of the ways cultural policies embody the value of equality. Although the concept is frequently linked to combating unequal provision of the arts in geographical terms, decentralisation policies are in fact concerned with providing equal opportunities for participation in culture and the arts for every citizen, regardless of his/her residence, physical ability or disability, income, social class, or cultural attributes such as race and gender.

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Laaksonen - Making culture accessible

Laaksonen, A. (2010). Making culture accessible - Access, participation and cultural provision in the context of cultural rights in Europe. Council of Europe. ISBN 978-92-871-6729-3

INVENT conference Barcelona

Arroyo, C. & S. Albertí (May 2023). INVENT conference Barcelona

Cvetičanin, Petrić & Koludrović - Towards a social turn in cultural policy: A policymaker’s guidebook

Cvetičanin, P.,  M. Petrić & I. Tomić Koludrović (2023). Towards a social turn in cultural policy: A policymaker’s guidebook. INVENT publication.

INVENT Newsletter I (2021)

Janssen, S., (Ed.) (2021). INVENT Newsletter I.

INVENT Newsletter II (2022)

Holla, S., Karels, A., & Janssen, S. (Eds.). (2022). INVENT Newsletter II.

INVENT Newsletter III (2023)

Karels, A., Janssen, S., & Holla, S. (Eds.). (2023). INVENT Newsletter III.

Lamberti, López Sintas / Sukphan – The social process of Internet appropriation

Lamberti, G., López Sintas, J., & J. Sukphan (2021). The social process of Internet appropriation: Living in a digitally advanced country benefits less well-educated Europeans. Telecommunications Policy, 45(1), 102055.

Lamberti, López Sintas & Sukphan – Explaining the digital divide in the European Union

Lamberti, G., López Sintas, J., & J. Sukphan (2023) Explaining the digital divide in the European Union: the complementary role of information security concerns in the social process of internet appropriation. Information Technology for Development, 1-27. 

Bonnet – The MAC VAL: A museum of contemporary art in the suburbs

Bonnet, P. (2023). The MAC VAL: A museum of contemporary art in the suburbs

Petrović – Forty years of alternative culture in Zurich: The case of the Red Factory

Petrović, V. (2023). Forty years of alternative culture in Zurich: The case of the Red Factory

Tomka – Spaces for culture at urban peripheries: The case of culture stations and Novi Sad European Capital of Culture 2022

Tomka, G. (2023). Spaces for culture at urban peripheries: The case of culture stations and Novi Sad European Capital of Culture 2022

» NEW! » Council of Europe - Involving citizens and communities in securing societal progress for the well-being of all

Council of Europe. (2011). Involving citizens and communities in securing societal progress for the well-being of all. ISBN 978-92-871-6888-7

» NEW! » Durrer et al. (eds.) - Cultural Policy is Local

  Victoria Durrer, Abigail Gilmore, Leila Jancovich & David Stevenson (eds.) (2023). Cultural Policy is Local: Understanding Cultural Policy as Situated Practice. Palgrave Macmillan Cham. ISBN 978-3-031-32311-9

» NEW! » Woddis - Acting on Cultural Policy

Jane Woddis. (2023). Acting on Cultural Policy: Arts Practitioners, Policy-Making and Civil Society. Palgrave Macmillan Cham. ISBN 978-3-031-11161-7

» NEW! » Cvetičanin et al. - Cultural Practices and Socio-Digital Inequalities in Europe

Cvetičanin, P., Pereira, L. P., Petrić, M., Tomić-Koludrović, I., Lebaron, F., & Zdravković, Ž. (2024). Cultural Practices and Socio-Digital Inequalities in Europe: Towards a Unified Research Framework in Cultural Participation Studies. Cultural Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/17499755231222520