Culture and Economy

Publication Year

This title was first published in 2002.

Introduction

For many regions, culture is considered the only viable resource they have for economic development. Neo-liberalist economics has become the dominant paradigm across a wide range of cultural contexts, while the cultural contingency of this paradigm itself has been obscured.

Contribution

In offering an empirically grounded anthropological critique of these issues, the volume makes an original contribution to the international debate on culture and economy.

Case Studies

The case studies shed light on everyday practices used to establish culture’s economic value, and concepts of culture and economy employed by policy decision-makers are scrutinized through studies of strategies and policies at various levels.

Economic Aspects

Aspects of economy, such as the market, are examined as cultural constructs in a historical context.

International Perspective

Illustrated by international case studies, the volume provides a compelling and insightful survey of the theories and practices that shape the polyvalent relationships between culture and economy in the twenty-first century.