Peer Reviewed Articles by Christopher Gunter
The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 2022
The Canadian private sector also contributes to the heritage commemoration landscape by working w... more The Canadian private sector also contributes to the heritage commemoration landscape by working with the government and accessing support programs. Arguably, one of the most impactful contemporary examples of the private sector’s heritage commemoration involvement are the Heritage Minutes (Minutes), which are sixty-second videos depicting historical narratives of events and people from Canadian history. Given their notoriety, the production and story selections for each Minute raises questions about the Canadian heritage landscape: who and what is represented or missing, and what are the implications? By examining these questions, this article aims to hold these Minutes—financed and authorized by government—to account and to understand what themes and messages these vignettes aim to impart on and authorize as ‘commemorative worthy’ to the Canadian public. This article focuses on examining the Minutes and documenting their thematic trends with a specific emphasis on identifying how marginalized groups are represented in the Minutes.
Pyramides : Revue du Centre d’Études et de Recherches en Administration Publique, 2020
Paper Source: https://journals.openedition.org/pyramides/1799
Les gouvernements conservateurs de... more Paper Source: https://journals.openedition.org/pyramides/1799
Les gouvernements conservateurs des années 1980 ont considérablement transformé le discours sur le patrimoine public qui avait cours depuis la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et le développement de l’État-providence dans les Trente Glorieuses. Les discours néolibéraux de Thatcher (R.-U.), Reagan (É.-U.), ou Mulroney (Canada), ont mené à des politiques d’austérité et à une vague importante de réformes administratives. Si le patrimoine est un domaine essentiellement laissé au secteur privé aux États-Unis, en revanche au Canada et au Royaume-Uni, les années 1940-1980 ont vu la création de structures de soutien au développement des organismes patrimoniaux. Les vastes programmes de développement d’établissements du patrimoine et de financement des arts mis en place en quelques décennies ont été graduellement remis en question, et ceux qui ont survécu sont demeurés sous-financés. La rhétorique de la nouvelle gestion publique a également grandement affecté la manière dont les administrations du patrimoine (musées, bibliothèques, archives, centres d’arts) accomplissent leur mission. Des pressions importantes ont été faites sur ces grands organismes publics afin qu’ils génèrent des revenus autonomes appelés à compenser un déclin continu et annoncé des financements des organismes publics. Le destin des grandes organisations patrimoniales au tournant des années 1980 et 1990 est bien connu et documenté au Canada et au Royaume-Uni. Dans les années 1990, des réformes administratives additionnelles ont fait en sorte d’accentuer la pression mise sur les organisations du patrimoine afin que ces dernières voient leur financement associé à des livrables spécifiques et mesurables. Dans les deux pays de tradition anglo-saxonne, on constate que ces pressions ont favorisé une attitude instrumentale quant aux affaires patrimoniales. Le patrimoine n’est plus une fin en soi, une mission publique digne en elle-même de financement public, mais est devenu un moyen pour arriver à une finalité autre : développement économique, développement social, intégration des migrants, etc.
Cet article propose d’apporter à ce débat deux nouvelles dimensions. Dans un premier temps, il s’agit de voir comment ces nouvelles formes de gestion se sont exercées sur les administrations publiques à l’échelle municipale. Ainsi, qu’en est-il des effets de ces réformes sur les services publics municipaux? Dans un deuxième temps, cet article cherche à comprendre les dynamiques, les modes de résistance, et les stratégies créatives qui sont construits par les acteurs, à partir de leurs propres ressources professionnelles et organisationnelles. En analysant les discours d’acteurs de trois grandes municipalités canadiennes, cet article met en relief des formes de résilience et des stratégies de dépassement des contraintes qui semblent caractéristiques du secteur patrimonial.
Culture and Local Governance - Culture et Gouvernance Locale, 2019
Developed by French cultural researchers since the early 1970s, new museology has been closely st... more Developed by French cultural researchers since the early 1970s, new museology has been closely studied in the context of museum practice as a turning renewal of professional practices. More than an instrument of professional renewal, new museology was the bearer of a political project often overlooked in the literature on heritage and culture. In essence, new museology’s objective was to mobilize the museum to promote the social integration of people and use that institution in the community projects. New museology claimed that the museum could transform society and participate in public policy. This article seeks to reposition the concept and history of the new museology relocating it in its political context, based on the case of France and Quebec. Based on case studies of Quebec museums enrolling in the wake of new museology, this article illustrates the strategies and the contribution of museums in the development of new forms of public ownership that emerged as a challenge to the prevailing traditional political mechanisms.
The écomusée—the small, local, and community-owned and managed museum—and similar cultural instit... more The écomusée—the small, local, and community-owned and managed museum—and similar cultural institutions, represent more than a typical museum: they are also community movements in time and space that resist the modern hierarchical practices of the cultural sector. Through four Canadian cases, this article examines the different forms of écomusée resistance by discursively excavating the conditions of their formation, institutional practices, and the resulting effects and implications. The movement's resulting schism in space and time has created local empowerment of underrepresented community groups by reappropriating and challenging the modern cultural landscape with implications for public action and public policy.
Abstract:
When discussing positivism today, it almost systematically falls into the realm of epis... more Abstract:
When discussing positivism today, it almost systematically falls into the realm of epistemological discourse. This discursive turn is primarily the by-product of the social sciences’ now-traditional approach to positivism—a turn which has been seen as largely dismissive of positivism for its antiquated and reductionist approaches to research. Without trying to make an apologetic account of positivism, this article reframes it in its broader social and historical dimensions. In particular, this article aims to illustrate how positivism—as a social and political movement—conveyed a cultural policy. In other words, this article attempts to re-engage with the intellectual legacy of positivism to resituate its significance in cultural and artistic terms in French culture, society and beyond. By drawing on the notion of implicit cultural policy, this article retraces the steps of positivism and specifically builds a case for its influence on French cultural policy in the Third Republic.
Résumé :
Les discours contemporains sur le positivisme nous conduisent presque systématiquement à une réflexion et une discussion de nature épistémologique. Cette caractérisation limitative du positivisme a trait à la manière dont les sciences sociales se sont appropriées l’histoire de ce mouvement. Sans chercher à excuser ou à réhabiliter le positivisme au plan épistémologique, cet article tente de remettre de l’avant le positivisme en tant que mouvement social et politique tout en le resituant de son contexte historique. De manière plus spécifique, cet article met en évidence le discours social et politique du positivisme afin d’en illustrer sa politique culturelle. Autrement dit, cet article cherche à renouer avec la tradition intellectuelle du positivisme afin d’en dégager son importance et son influence artistique et culturelle, et ce, notamment sur la culture et la société française. En s’inspirant de la notion de politique culturelle implicite, cet article retrace les étapes du positivisme et développe une réflexion sur son influence sur la politique culturelle en France depuis la Troisième République.
Si les fonctions classiques des musées occidentaux de conservation et de préservation des objets ... more Si les fonctions classiques des musées occidentaux de conservation et de préservation des objets et artefacts perdurent, on ne peut en dire autant de la composition institutionnelle du musée lui-même – qui a été à maintes reprises abolie et refaite au gré des forces politiques contradictoires et des discours critiques émergents. Ces transformations et les pressions en résultant ont provoqué des questionnements et une remise en cause de l’autorité des conservateurs et de leur rôle en général. À travers le prisme du symbolisme organisationnel, cet article analyse les expositions de musées au Vietnam pour montrer comment les forces sociales et politiques de l’indépendance nationale et du colonialisme ont redessiné les contours de la profession de conservateur et des institutions muséales en Asie. En insistant sur l’importance des rites professionnels et du symbolisme organisationnel dans les musées, il fait valoir que les expositions commémorant les pratiques et les actes professionnels révèlent des aspects et des éléments normatifs importants de l’éthos des professionnels des musées. Or, ces aspects illustrent le défi postcolonial que pose la construction d’une identité professionnelle dans les musées de l’Asie du Sud-Est, tout en soulevant des questions courantes relatives aux professions muséales.
While classic functions of Western museums have included conservation and preservation of objects... more While classic functions of Western museums have included conservation and preservation of objects and artefacts, the same cannot be said for the institutional makeup of the museum itself – which has been repeatedly torn down and rebuilt by conflicting political forces and emerging critical discourses. These transformations and consequent pressures have led to profession-related concerns and questioning around curatorial authority and the general role of professionals in the field. Through a lens of organizational symbolism, this paper analyses exhibitions from museums in Vietnam in an effort to shed light on how the social and political forces of national independence and colonialism have changed the contours of the curatorial profession and institutions in Asia. By emphasizing the significance of professional rituals and organizational symbolism in museums, this paper argues that exhibitions showing the practice and acts of professional commemoration reveal important normative aspects and elements of the professional ethos of museum professionals. In other words, these aspects illustrate the post-colonial challenge of crafting a professional identity in Southeast Asian museums, while also pointing to common profession-related concerns.
This article aims to reintegrate the colonial history of Canada as part of the grids of analysis ... more This article aims to reintegrate the colonial history of Canada as part of the grids of analysis for understanding the evolution of its Federal cultural policy. Building on the notion of settler colonialism and its implication for Indigenous population (For the purposes of this paper, the term ‘Indigenous’ is used in place of, perhaps, more popular or familiar terms – such as ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Native’ – in order to remain consistent with current Indigenous politics. In particular, some Indigenous scholars are reluctant to accept the label Aboriginal because they feel it is consistent with the colonial order imposed by the Canadian government [Alfred and Corntassel 2005, p. 599]). The term Indigenous also alludes to a global political awareness and to forms of alterity between different populations from North America, South America, Asia, and the Pacific. in Canada, this paper documents different transformations in cultural policy and illustrates some of its paradoxes and challenges. Building on principles developed by Indigenous scholars, this article highlights some of the components for decolonizing cultural policy in Canada. It is argued that a post-colonial cultural policy must build on the grounds of ethics (and ethos).
Book Chapter by Christopher Gunter
The Study of Cultural Policy in Canada , 2021
Link: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811635328
Public museums are, generally, a poor spac... more Link: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811635328
Public museums are, generally, a poor space for public engagement; their historically closed, hierarchical, and elitist norms and values still carry weight today. Challenging this traditional view of museums-as-elitist is the ecomuseum—small, local, community-owned and -managed museums. The ecomuseum claims to offer a more inclusive and holistic option for cultural display and expression. Moreover, the ecomuseum claims to act as a public space where collaboration on community projects – including public policy initiatives – can occur. This claim is often an inherent quality emerging in activities and goals seeking to socially and economically enhance their public. Drawing on a systems thinking perspective, this chapter examines the case of the Workers’ History Museum (WHM), and explores how it acts as a social institution that empowers and works with its local environment—in particular, marginalized and often ignored community connections—to jointly develop a shared community perspective, and implement activist projects in support of this shared view. By looking at this case study, this paper highlights how local policy ideas that seek to enhance its publics through the ecomuseum and reconnects with government. This paper argues that ecomuseums play a key role in fomenting public participation by connecting marginalized and ignored publics to policy ideas, and that government should not underestimate the influence of cultural institutions and their potential to serve as a voice and policy intermediate.
Cultural Roads and Itineraries: Concepts and Cases, 2021
https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811635328
In this research, it was discovered that the gr... more https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811635328
In this research, it was discovered that the grassroots, communal, and engaging nature and activist content of labour walking tours incited a critical community dialogue that formed a discourse of resistance. In essence, three thematic narratives emerged in this cultural itinerary: (1) examination and reflection of the dominant government-sponsored cultural narrative; (2) insertion of missing and excluded local narratives that highlight vulnerable groups; and (3) community confidence and empowerment through the nostalgic reminiscence of past triumphs. Using the notion of cultural itineraries, this article illustrates how labour walking tours have been able to empower the public by reassembling, connecting, and ascribing an alternative meaning through curating activism within the community. By examining labour walking tours, each case study reveals an alternative cultural image and identity for a community that is beset by the dominant government narrative. More than this, the cultural itinerary acts as both a resistance and a reappropriation of a lost and excluded identity for its local and visiting public. Participants not only walk away with knowledge about its past, but they also form an intimate connection with its heritage while being empowered with a sense of pride.
Conference Proceedings by Christopher Gunter
Making is a social movement that has gained currency in Europe and North America. Making is a het... more Making is a social movement that has gained currency in Europe and North America. Making is a heterogeneous movement that includes many ramifications, and encompasses many other trends at once. Making encapsulates a desire for change and an enthusiasm for social and economic alternatives to a market economy in its industrial context. After situating the Maker's Movement in North America, and after approaching it through theoretical lenses, this paper discusses terroir. As a cultural industry, and in its North American context, terroir follows the principles , the values and the spirit of social and economic entrepreneurship that coincides with the Maker's Movement. Following this, the paper explains the notion of terroir and establishes its links with Making, and in turn, explains the main contours and principles of terroir as a cultural industry in North America.
This paper tries to address the relationship between culture and innovation from a different angl... more This paper tries to address the relationship between culture and innovation from a different angle that is much less acknowledged. Rather than projecting ahead the economic importance and the innovation potential of cultural organizations and cultural activities, we want to address the potential for innovation that is intrinsic to culture, and to reflect on how it could innovate and transform. In other words, we attempt to uncover the dynamics of cultural innovation as it develops in and around cultural organizations. Furthermore, cultural industries need to address the question of innovation for its own operations. While the literature in this area is less explored and often subsumed with other competing theoretical alternatives, issues of innovation are no less important for cultural organizations. According to Lampel (et. al., 2000), cultural industries face a distinctive situation as their goods are mostly symbolic ones. To put it in Lampel's terms, cultural goods are "experiential goods" (p. 264). The issues and questions pertaining to cultural organizations and innovations are countless; nevertheless, this paper raises one important question: what is the role of public policy for sustaining innovation in the cultural sector?
Shedding its critical flavour developed by members of the Frankfurt School, the notion ‘cultural
... more Shedding its critical flavour developed by members of the Frankfurt School, the notion ‘cultural
industries’ has slowly evolved to give an entrepreneurial taste to the cultural sector. However,
this change has rarely been problematized or examined. By exploring the cultural policy subfield
of heritage, this paper seeks to shed light on the increasing influence of entrepreneurial logics.
As such, the relationship between heritage and cultural industries is developed to illustrate how
the former is strongly influenced by the latter. Furthermore, this research uniquely employs and
develops a case for the French expression ‘terroir’. By looking at ‘terroir’ organizations and
activities, among other agricultural and craft-related practices, this paper highlights its firm
presence and association with cultural tourism while further expanding the link between cultural
industries and entrepreneurship. Overall, this paper argues that these ‘terroir’ activities shed new
light and bring to the forefront similar issues brought forth by the Frankfurt School while
emphasizing the significance of authenticity, tradition, and place.
Book Review by Christopher Gunter
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Peer Reviewed Articles by Christopher Gunter
Les gouvernements conservateurs des années 1980 ont considérablement transformé le discours sur le patrimoine public qui avait cours depuis la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et le développement de l’État-providence dans les Trente Glorieuses. Les discours néolibéraux de Thatcher (R.-U.), Reagan (É.-U.), ou Mulroney (Canada), ont mené à des politiques d’austérité et à une vague importante de réformes administratives. Si le patrimoine est un domaine essentiellement laissé au secteur privé aux États-Unis, en revanche au Canada et au Royaume-Uni, les années 1940-1980 ont vu la création de structures de soutien au développement des organismes patrimoniaux. Les vastes programmes de développement d’établissements du patrimoine et de financement des arts mis en place en quelques décennies ont été graduellement remis en question, et ceux qui ont survécu sont demeurés sous-financés. La rhétorique de la nouvelle gestion publique a également grandement affecté la manière dont les administrations du patrimoine (musées, bibliothèques, archives, centres d’arts) accomplissent leur mission. Des pressions importantes ont été faites sur ces grands organismes publics afin qu’ils génèrent des revenus autonomes appelés à compenser un déclin continu et annoncé des financements des organismes publics. Le destin des grandes organisations patrimoniales au tournant des années 1980 et 1990 est bien connu et documenté au Canada et au Royaume-Uni. Dans les années 1990, des réformes administratives additionnelles ont fait en sorte d’accentuer la pression mise sur les organisations du patrimoine afin que ces dernières voient leur financement associé à des livrables spécifiques et mesurables. Dans les deux pays de tradition anglo-saxonne, on constate que ces pressions ont favorisé une attitude instrumentale quant aux affaires patrimoniales. Le patrimoine n’est plus une fin en soi, une mission publique digne en elle-même de financement public, mais est devenu un moyen pour arriver à une finalité autre : développement économique, développement social, intégration des migrants, etc.
Cet article propose d’apporter à ce débat deux nouvelles dimensions. Dans un premier temps, il s’agit de voir comment ces nouvelles formes de gestion se sont exercées sur les administrations publiques à l’échelle municipale. Ainsi, qu’en est-il des effets de ces réformes sur les services publics municipaux? Dans un deuxième temps, cet article cherche à comprendre les dynamiques, les modes de résistance, et les stratégies créatives qui sont construits par les acteurs, à partir de leurs propres ressources professionnelles et organisationnelles. En analysant les discours d’acteurs de trois grandes municipalités canadiennes, cet article met en relief des formes de résilience et des stratégies de dépassement des contraintes qui semblent caractéristiques du secteur patrimonial.
When discussing positivism today, it almost systematically falls into the realm of epistemological discourse. This discursive turn is primarily the by-product of the social sciences’ now-traditional approach to positivism—a turn which has been seen as largely dismissive of positivism for its antiquated and reductionist approaches to research. Without trying to make an apologetic account of positivism, this article reframes it in its broader social and historical dimensions. In particular, this article aims to illustrate how positivism—as a social and political movement—conveyed a cultural policy. In other words, this article attempts to re-engage with the intellectual legacy of positivism to resituate its significance in cultural and artistic terms in French culture, society and beyond. By drawing on the notion of implicit cultural policy, this article retraces the steps of positivism and specifically builds a case for its influence on French cultural policy in the Third Republic.
Résumé :
Les discours contemporains sur le positivisme nous conduisent presque systématiquement à une réflexion et une discussion de nature épistémologique. Cette caractérisation limitative du positivisme a trait à la manière dont les sciences sociales se sont appropriées l’histoire de ce mouvement. Sans chercher à excuser ou à réhabiliter le positivisme au plan épistémologique, cet article tente de remettre de l’avant le positivisme en tant que mouvement social et politique tout en le resituant de son contexte historique. De manière plus spécifique, cet article met en évidence le discours social et politique du positivisme afin d’en illustrer sa politique culturelle. Autrement dit, cet article cherche à renouer avec la tradition intellectuelle du positivisme afin d’en dégager son importance et son influence artistique et culturelle, et ce, notamment sur la culture et la société française. En s’inspirant de la notion de politique culturelle implicite, cet article retrace les étapes du positivisme et développe une réflexion sur son influence sur la politique culturelle en France depuis la Troisième République.
Book Chapter by Christopher Gunter
Public museums are, generally, a poor space for public engagement; their historically closed, hierarchical, and elitist norms and values still carry weight today. Challenging this traditional view of museums-as-elitist is the ecomuseum—small, local, community-owned and -managed museums. The ecomuseum claims to offer a more inclusive and holistic option for cultural display and expression. Moreover, the ecomuseum claims to act as a public space where collaboration on community projects – including public policy initiatives – can occur. This claim is often an inherent quality emerging in activities and goals seeking to socially and economically enhance their public. Drawing on a systems thinking perspective, this chapter examines the case of the Workers’ History Museum (WHM), and explores how it acts as a social institution that empowers and works with its local environment—in particular, marginalized and often ignored community connections—to jointly develop a shared community perspective, and implement activist projects in support of this shared view. By looking at this case study, this paper highlights how local policy ideas that seek to enhance its publics through the ecomuseum and reconnects with government. This paper argues that ecomuseums play a key role in fomenting public participation by connecting marginalized and ignored publics to policy ideas, and that government should not underestimate the influence of cultural institutions and their potential to serve as a voice and policy intermediate.
In this research, it was discovered that the grassroots, communal, and engaging nature and activist content of labour walking tours incited a critical community dialogue that formed a discourse of resistance. In essence, three thematic narratives emerged in this cultural itinerary: (1) examination and reflection of the dominant government-sponsored cultural narrative; (2) insertion of missing and excluded local narratives that highlight vulnerable groups; and (3) community confidence and empowerment through the nostalgic reminiscence of past triumphs. Using the notion of cultural itineraries, this article illustrates how labour walking tours have been able to empower the public by reassembling, connecting, and ascribing an alternative meaning through curating activism within the community. By examining labour walking tours, each case study reveals an alternative cultural image and identity for a community that is beset by the dominant government narrative. More than this, the cultural itinerary acts as both a resistance and a reappropriation of a lost and excluded identity for its local and visiting public. Participants not only walk away with knowledge about its past, but they also form an intimate connection with its heritage while being empowered with a sense of pride.
Conference Proceedings by Christopher Gunter
industries’ has slowly evolved to give an entrepreneurial taste to the cultural sector. However,
this change has rarely been problematized or examined. By exploring the cultural policy subfield
of heritage, this paper seeks to shed light on the increasing influence of entrepreneurial logics.
As such, the relationship between heritage and cultural industries is developed to illustrate how
the former is strongly influenced by the latter. Furthermore, this research uniquely employs and
develops a case for the French expression ‘terroir’. By looking at ‘terroir’ organizations and
activities, among other agricultural and craft-related practices, this paper highlights its firm
presence and association with cultural tourism while further expanding the link between cultural
industries and entrepreneurship. Overall, this paper argues that these ‘terroir’ activities shed new
light and bring to the forefront similar issues brought forth by the Frankfurt School while
emphasizing the significance of authenticity, tradition, and place.
Book Review by Christopher Gunter
Les gouvernements conservateurs des années 1980 ont considérablement transformé le discours sur le patrimoine public qui avait cours depuis la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et le développement de l’État-providence dans les Trente Glorieuses. Les discours néolibéraux de Thatcher (R.-U.), Reagan (É.-U.), ou Mulroney (Canada), ont mené à des politiques d’austérité et à une vague importante de réformes administratives. Si le patrimoine est un domaine essentiellement laissé au secteur privé aux États-Unis, en revanche au Canada et au Royaume-Uni, les années 1940-1980 ont vu la création de structures de soutien au développement des organismes patrimoniaux. Les vastes programmes de développement d’établissements du patrimoine et de financement des arts mis en place en quelques décennies ont été graduellement remis en question, et ceux qui ont survécu sont demeurés sous-financés. La rhétorique de la nouvelle gestion publique a également grandement affecté la manière dont les administrations du patrimoine (musées, bibliothèques, archives, centres d’arts) accomplissent leur mission. Des pressions importantes ont été faites sur ces grands organismes publics afin qu’ils génèrent des revenus autonomes appelés à compenser un déclin continu et annoncé des financements des organismes publics. Le destin des grandes organisations patrimoniales au tournant des années 1980 et 1990 est bien connu et documenté au Canada et au Royaume-Uni. Dans les années 1990, des réformes administratives additionnelles ont fait en sorte d’accentuer la pression mise sur les organisations du patrimoine afin que ces dernières voient leur financement associé à des livrables spécifiques et mesurables. Dans les deux pays de tradition anglo-saxonne, on constate que ces pressions ont favorisé une attitude instrumentale quant aux affaires patrimoniales. Le patrimoine n’est plus une fin en soi, une mission publique digne en elle-même de financement public, mais est devenu un moyen pour arriver à une finalité autre : développement économique, développement social, intégration des migrants, etc.
Cet article propose d’apporter à ce débat deux nouvelles dimensions. Dans un premier temps, il s’agit de voir comment ces nouvelles formes de gestion se sont exercées sur les administrations publiques à l’échelle municipale. Ainsi, qu’en est-il des effets de ces réformes sur les services publics municipaux? Dans un deuxième temps, cet article cherche à comprendre les dynamiques, les modes de résistance, et les stratégies créatives qui sont construits par les acteurs, à partir de leurs propres ressources professionnelles et organisationnelles. En analysant les discours d’acteurs de trois grandes municipalités canadiennes, cet article met en relief des formes de résilience et des stratégies de dépassement des contraintes qui semblent caractéristiques du secteur patrimonial.
When discussing positivism today, it almost systematically falls into the realm of epistemological discourse. This discursive turn is primarily the by-product of the social sciences’ now-traditional approach to positivism—a turn which has been seen as largely dismissive of positivism for its antiquated and reductionist approaches to research. Without trying to make an apologetic account of positivism, this article reframes it in its broader social and historical dimensions. In particular, this article aims to illustrate how positivism—as a social and political movement—conveyed a cultural policy. In other words, this article attempts to re-engage with the intellectual legacy of positivism to resituate its significance in cultural and artistic terms in French culture, society and beyond. By drawing on the notion of implicit cultural policy, this article retraces the steps of positivism and specifically builds a case for its influence on French cultural policy in the Third Republic.
Résumé :
Les discours contemporains sur le positivisme nous conduisent presque systématiquement à une réflexion et une discussion de nature épistémologique. Cette caractérisation limitative du positivisme a trait à la manière dont les sciences sociales se sont appropriées l’histoire de ce mouvement. Sans chercher à excuser ou à réhabiliter le positivisme au plan épistémologique, cet article tente de remettre de l’avant le positivisme en tant que mouvement social et politique tout en le resituant de son contexte historique. De manière plus spécifique, cet article met en évidence le discours social et politique du positivisme afin d’en illustrer sa politique culturelle. Autrement dit, cet article cherche à renouer avec la tradition intellectuelle du positivisme afin d’en dégager son importance et son influence artistique et culturelle, et ce, notamment sur la culture et la société française. En s’inspirant de la notion de politique culturelle implicite, cet article retrace les étapes du positivisme et développe une réflexion sur son influence sur la politique culturelle en France depuis la Troisième République.
Public museums are, generally, a poor space for public engagement; their historically closed, hierarchical, and elitist norms and values still carry weight today. Challenging this traditional view of museums-as-elitist is the ecomuseum—small, local, community-owned and -managed museums. The ecomuseum claims to offer a more inclusive and holistic option for cultural display and expression. Moreover, the ecomuseum claims to act as a public space where collaboration on community projects – including public policy initiatives – can occur. This claim is often an inherent quality emerging in activities and goals seeking to socially and economically enhance their public. Drawing on a systems thinking perspective, this chapter examines the case of the Workers’ History Museum (WHM), and explores how it acts as a social institution that empowers and works with its local environment—in particular, marginalized and often ignored community connections—to jointly develop a shared community perspective, and implement activist projects in support of this shared view. By looking at this case study, this paper highlights how local policy ideas that seek to enhance its publics through the ecomuseum and reconnects with government. This paper argues that ecomuseums play a key role in fomenting public participation by connecting marginalized and ignored publics to policy ideas, and that government should not underestimate the influence of cultural institutions and their potential to serve as a voice and policy intermediate.
In this research, it was discovered that the grassroots, communal, and engaging nature and activist content of labour walking tours incited a critical community dialogue that formed a discourse of resistance. In essence, three thematic narratives emerged in this cultural itinerary: (1) examination and reflection of the dominant government-sponsored cultural narrative; (2) insertion of missing and excluded local narratives that highlight vulnerable groups; and (3) community confidence and empowerment through the nostalgic reminiscence of past triumphs. Using the notion of cultural itineraries, this article illustrates how labour walking tours have been able to empower the public by reassembling, connecting, and ascribing an alternative meaning through curating activism within the community. By examining labour walking tours, each case study reveals an alternative cultural image and identity for a community that is beset by the dominant government narrative. More than this, the cultural itinerary acts as both a resistance and a reappropriation of a lost and excluded identity for its local and visiting public. Participants not only walk away with knowledge about its past, but they also form an intimate connection with its heritage while being empowered with a sense of pride.
industries’ has slowly evolved to give an entrepreneurial taste to the cultural sector. However,
this change has rarely been problematized or examined. By exploring the cultural policy subfield
of heritage, this paper seeks to shed light on the increasing influence of entrepreneurial logics.
As such, the relationship between heritage and cultural industries is developed to illustrate how
the former is strongly influenced by the latter. Furthermore, this research uniquely employs and
develops a case for the French expression ‘terroir’. By looking at ‘terroir’ organizations and
activities, among other agricultural and craft-related practices, this paper highlights its firm
presence and association with cultural tourism while further expanding the link between cultural
industries and entrepreneurship. Overall, this paper argues that these ‘terroir’ activities shed new
light and bring to the forefront similar issues brought forth by the Frankfurt School while
emphasizing the significance of authenticity, tradition, and place.