Kulttuuripolitiikan uudet vaatteet

At the Roots of Finnish Cultural Policy: Intellectuals, Nationalism, and the Arts

In this article we argue that the role of intellectuals was essential (1) in the formation of Finnish cultural policy and (2) for the development of national cultural administration and public arts subsidy system in the country in the period leading up to World War II. The actions of the intellectuals can be considered as political choices in a contingent sociopolitical realm, and arts as an essential part of the signifying system. In Finland, intellectuals remained active in the intertwining areas between the state and civil society. We highlight the impact of their actions especially through a study of archival materials obtained from the State Arts Boards. At these Boards, the intellectu…

Cultural access and activation: Civic participation in local sustainable communities

The global spread of the concept of cultural policy

The article studies UNESCO's program that, from the late 1960s onward, aimed at spreading globally the concept of cultural policy. An essential part of the program, UNESCO invited member states from different regions of the world to prepare reports on national cultural policy. That was successful in spreading cultural policy as a concept and as a governmental structure. Except for only Australia, Canada and the United States, in which cultural policy is handled at a sub-state level, all countries that produced a national report have established a ministry of culture, typically synchronously with the report. The analysis suggests that UNESCO's success was due to two factors: the process of d…

Intellectuals, nationalism, and the arts

In this article we argue that the role of intellectuals was essential (1) in the formation of Finnish cultural policy and (2) for the development of national cultural administration and public arts subsidy system in the country in the period leading up to the Second World War. The actions of the intellectuals can be considered as political choices in a contingent socio‐political realm, and arts as an essential part of the signifying system. In Finland, intellectuals remained active in the intertwining areas between the state and civil society. We highlight the impact of their actions especially through a study of archival materials obtained from the State Arts Boards. At these Boards, the i…

Pursuing decentralisation : regional cultural policies in Finland and Sweden

In both Finland and Sweden, decentralisation has traditionally been an essential cultural policy aim. This article explores how, by pursuing decentralisation, the regional jurisdictions have been presented with more possibilities to fulfil their purposes and in this way, gain legitimacy in cultural policy. Based on the analysis of political, legal, and administrative documents, three main periods of regional decentralisation in cultural policies are identified: regions as vehicles of welfare policy, regionalisation, and competitive regions. In both countries, national governments have promoted the regional level’s agency, and in doing so, potential institutional change in cultural policy. H…

The local cultural sector : Reinvigorating its public functions and foundations

In the Nordic tradition, public cultural policy has been endowed with an enlightening and welfarepolitical aim. Nordic cultural policies are based on an overall socio-political objective of furthering the empowerment of the individual, universal enlightenment ("Bildung") and the continued democratisation of society (Nielsen 2003). Locally, an important actor is a municipal cultural sector that is one specialized sector in a municipality's administration. Cultural and art institutions (such as libraries, museums, theatres) are working under the cultural sector administration, although they might sometimes have their own separate administration. According to Gray (2002, pp. 82-83) the arts as…

Construction of cultural policy

Introduction: cultural policies for sustainable development

Sustainable development has long conceptual roots, and international organisations have played a significant role in articulating the meaning of the term and the content of the dominant discourses. Within these frames, the concept of cultural sustainability tends to be diversely defined and operationalized. This article and special issue examine culture and sustainable development in ways that articulate and contemplate different roles for cultural policy.

Culture in, for and as sustainable development : conclusions from the COST Action IS1007 investigating cultural sustainability

Ymmärryksen etsintää oppimisongelmien kohtaamiseen : teoreettista tulkintaa ja käytännön havaintoja oppimisvaikeuksien ilmenemisestä, luonteesta ja auttamismahdollisuuksista

Kulttuuritoiminta ja alueellinen erilaistuminen : kulttuuritoiminnan rahoitus Suomen kunnissa 2010-luvulla

In Finland, cultural services have traditionally been developed as the services of the welfare state that are provided in every municipality. In the past few decades, new forms of governance, changing population structure and economic decline have affected municipalities’ operational environment. Simultaneously, the aims of cultural policy have increasingly broadened. This article examines how the municipal cultural services are financed in municipalities with different structural qualities and financial resources in Finland in the 2010s. peerReviewed

Nordic cultural policy

The rationale for publishing a special Nordic issue of the IJCP might be to throw into relief a specific Nordic model of cultural policy that deserves international academic interest. It might also...

Governance of cultural heritage: towards participatory approaches

This article analyzes participatory governance in relation to heritage. Based on previous studies on the implementation of participation and theoretical discussions considering the participatory governance of cultural heritage, we found four types of cultural heritage governance, with differing weights with regard to public authorities, civil society, markets, and citizens. Governmental, corporatist, service-led, and co-creative cultural heritage governance types were identified, which reflect the shifts in participatory approaches to governance from state-centered activities to the proliferation of civil society, and from professionally dominated to more citizen-based activities. According…

Aktiiviset osallistujat : kuntalaiset kulttuuri- ja liikuntapalvelujen kehittäjinä

Institutionalism, cultural institutions and cultural policy in the Nordic countries

In the article our aim is to analyse theoretically the questions: (1) what is the relevance of institutional approach in research about cultural policy and cultural institutions, and (2) how do the ...

Cultural policies for sustainable development: four strategic paths

In the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the role of culture is limited. We argue that culture’s absence is rooted in the longue duree of interplay among theoreti...

Is there a need for a new cultural policy strategy in the Nordic welfare state?

Cultural policies have existed as a structural element of the Nordic welfare states from the very beginning. Today these policies are being re‐evaluated, and there are some indications that they may be gradually dismantled. Local cultural politicians in municipalities (cultural boards) and professionals (e.g. cultural secretaries) have become uncertain and anxious about their future role and legitimacy. This new situation is addressed and analysed by using the ideas of Goffman's on‐and off‐stage representations, and Foucault's governmentality. Important background factors in the development of cultural policies both in the past, present and future are identified and used to explain the pres…