Routledge Global Cultural Economy (Key Ideas in Media & Cultural Studies)

Global Cultural Economy critically interrogates the role cultural and creative industries play in societies. By locating these industries in their broader cultural and economic contexts, Christiaan De Beukelaer and Kim-Marie Spence combine their repertoires of empirical work across four continents to define the ‘cultural economy’ as the system of production, distribution, and consumption of cultural goods and services, as well as the cultural, economic, social, and political contexts in which it operates. Each chapter introduces and discusses a different theme, such as inclusion, diversity, sustainability, and ownership, highlighting the tensions around them to elicit an active engagement with possible and provisional solutions. The themes are explored through case studies including Bollywood, Ghanaian music, the Korean Wave, Jamaican Reggae, and the UN Creative Economy Reports. Written with students, researchers, and policy-makers in mind, Global Cultural Economy is ideal for anyone interested in the creative and cultural industries, media and cultural studies, cultural policy, and development studies.   Review Global Cultural Economy is a welcome addition to the literature on cultural economies, contributing valuable observations and analyses from beyond the ‘west’. At the same time, the authors draw on the reports of intergovernmental organizations such as UNESCO and UNCTAD as primary source material, thus turning the gaze on these organizations as much as the analysis is focused on the destinations which they influence. This book thus offers new perspectives and opens up new debates. Lily Kong, Singapore Management University This book provides a fascinating tapestry and kaleidoscope on the commodification of culture and cultural practices, with much food for thought for anyone remotely interested in contemplating the resultant homogenisation of the world’s creative imagination and diversity. Francis B. Nyamnjoh, University of Cape Town. This must-read book critically clears a path through the thicket of preconceptions within celebratory, aspirational, critical, agnostic and reflexive perspectives regarding the creative industries. The authors frame a wide range of cultural practices and industries through a carefully defined cultural economy that highlights social organization, cultural context and political economy, without prioritising economic gain or social amelioration, the twin criteria of much creative industries hype. George Yúdice, University of Miami Until now, both research and policy-making on the contributions of culture to societies have been blinkered: by Eurocentrism, ideas-faddism, and an unerring belief in the divine power of economic growth. In Global Cultural Economy, Christiaan De Beukelaer and Kim-Marie Spence provide a timely and welcome corrective: questioning axioms, widening the empirical field beyond the Global North, and broadening the debate to consider what really matters to the flourishing of diverse creative lives. Chris Gibson, University of Wollongong In spite of the fact that concept of creative industries had been developed in a Western world, creative economy of numerous countries in development are using music, film, television and design to achieve economic impact on both local and world markets. This book skillfully combines global approach with focus on very specific case studies that can be assessed as exemplary practices of re-evaluating national cultural traditions in larger market and business perspectives. Challenging research covered places that are not often in the heart of scholars’ attention (Burkina Faso, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Trinidad and Tobago) together with more known examples of Bollywood or K-pop. The discussions dare to challenge numerous controversial issues of creative economy concept showing authors’ expertise and vast knowledge of body of literature from all around the world starting with knowledge economy to the political econ