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1 Introduction

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Abstract

We usually think of culture as a good thing. Arts organisations and governments tell us that culture has a range of benefits for individuals and for societies. This is in addition to the value of culture for its own sake.

However, culture is closely related to a range of social inequalities. There are inequalities in the workforce for cultural occupations. There are inequalities in the audiences for arts and culture. Culture also plays an important role in relation to how social inequality reproduces itself.

This chapter introduces the book, its core argument and themes, and structure. It shows the importance of studying cultural occupations, as a framework for understanding culture and inequality. It also highlights the relationship between the workforce and the audience, demonstrating the consequences of the barriers to diverse and equal representation that is central to the analysis in the rest of the chapters.

Abstract

We usually think of culture as a good thing. Arts organisations and governments tell us that culture has a range of benefits for individuals and for societies. This is in addition to the value of culture for its own sake.

However, culture is closely related to a range of social inequalities. There are inequalities in the workforce for cultural occupations. There are inequalities in the audiences for arts and culture. Culture also plays an important role in relation to how social inequality reproduces itself.

This chapter introduces the book, its core argument and themes, and structure. It shows the importance of studying cultural occupations, as a framework for understanding culture and inequality. It also highlights the relationship between the workforce and the audience, demonstrating the consequences of the barriers to diverse and equal representation that is central to the analysis in the rest of the chapters.

Chapters in this book

  1. Front matter i
  2. Contents v
  3. List of figures vii
  4. List of tables x
  5. Preface xi
  6. Acknowledgements xv
  7. 1 Introduction 1
  8. 2 Is culture good for you? 26
  9. 3 Who works in culture? 54
  10. 4 Who consumes culture? 77
  11. 5 When does inequality begin in cultural workers’ lives? 109
  12. 6 Is it still good work if you’re not getting paid? 136
  13. 7 Was there a golden age? 165
  14. 8 How is inequality experienced? 190
  15. 9 Why don’t women run culture? 221
  16. 10 What about the men? 249
  17. 11 Conclusion 273
  18. Appendix 1 284
  19. Appendix 2 292
  20. Notes 294
  21. Bibliography 326
  22. Index 353
Culture is bad for you
This chapter is in the book Culture is bad for you
https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526152152.00007

Chapters in this book

  1. Front matter i
  2. Contents v
  3. List of figures vii
  4. List of tables x
  5. Preface xi
  6. Acknowledgements xv
  7. 1 Introduction 1
  8. 2 Is culture good for you? 26
  9. 3 Who works in culture? 54
  10. 4 Who consumes culture? 77
  11. 5 When does inequality begin in cultural workers’ lives? 109
  12. 6 Is it still good work if you’re not getting paid? 136
  13. 7 Was there a golden age? 165
  14. 8 How is inequality experienced? 190
  15. 9 Why don’t women run culture? 221
  16. 10 What about the men? 249
  17. 11 Conclusion 273
  18. Appendix 1 284
  19. Appendix 2 292
  20. Notes 294
  21. Bibliography 326
  22. Index 353
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