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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan The Limited
ISBN-100230284531
ISBN-139780230284531
eBay Product ID (ePID)109035474
Product Key Features
Number of PagesXi, 219 Pages
Publication NamePolitics of Culture : the Case for Universalism
LanguageEnglish
SubjectPublic Policy / General, Media Studies, Public Affairs & Administration, Public Policy / Cultural Policy, Sociology / General, Popular Culture
Publication Year2011
TypeTextbook
AuthorMunira Mirza
Subject AreaPolitical Science, Social Science
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height0.8 in
Item Weight17 Oz
Item Length9.7 in
Item Width5.7 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional
LCCN2011-045724
Dewey Edition23
TitleLeadingThe
Reviews'Munira Mirza has produced a challenging and indeed urgent thesis concerning the politics of culture and cultural policy today.' - Jim McGuigan, Loughborough University, UK 'Munira Mirza helps us to think again about the complex relations between the universal value of supporting culture and the challenges of responding to local and minority communities. Her trenchant and insightful analysis will point cultural producers and policy makers alike in new and fruitful directions.' - Iwona Blazwick OBE, Director of Whitechapel Gallery, UK 'In this invigorating analysis, Munira Mirza tackles head-on the problematic issues of cultural diversity " and calls for a new, critical universalism in contemporary cultural policy. Informed by both scholarly enquiry and a deep engagement with organisational practice, Mirza "s book exposes the contradictions that arise when identity politics drive the arts. With insights grounded in revealing case-studies, Mirza navigates these difficult waters with considerable skill. Theoretically well-informed, but free from academic jargon, the book will be of interest to students, academics and arts professionals alike. Provocative, challenging, sometimes contrarian, it is a welcome addition to the growing literature on cultural value ".' - Oliver Bennett, University of Warwick, UK, 'Munira Mirza has produced a challenging and indeed urgent thesis concerning the politics of culture and cultural policy today.' - Jim McGuigan, Loughborough University, UK 'Munira Mirza helps us to think again about the complex relations between the universal value of supporting culture and the challenges of responding to local and minority communities. Her trenchant and insightful analysis will point cultural producers and policy makers alike in new and fruitful directions.' - Iwona Blazwick OBE, Director ofWhitechapel Gallery, UK 'In this invigorating analysis, Munira Mirza tackles head-on the problematic issues of 'cultural diversity' and calls for a new, critical universalism in contemporary cultural policy. Informed by both scholarly enquiry and a deep engagement with organisational practice, Mirza's book exposes the contradictions that arise when identity politics drive the arts. With insights grounded in revealing case-studies, Mirza navigates these difficult waters with considerable skill. Theoretically well-informed, but free from academic jargon, the book will be of interest to students, academics and arts professionals alike. Provocative, challenging, sometimes contrarian, it is a welcome addition to the growing literature on 'cultural value'.' - Oliver Bennett, University of Warwick, UK 'This is an important book, which should be required reading for those who think they know it all already...the thesis is convincing and its effect is that of an invigorating, strong, and unsweetened double espresso in a context of far too much diluted, dishonest and compromised froth. Read it!' - Arts Professional "I am struck by its clarity of language and argument. Mirza is unapologetic about using the term 'universal' to mean not we are 'all the same' but that we have the imagination to transcend, through art and culture, our particular biological, historical, geographical or ethnic circumstances. She makes a strong case that 'inclusive' approaches by the guardians of cultural institutions obscure the universal and, therefore, what it is to be human." - Professor Dennis Hayes, Times Higher Education 'Where Mirza is at her best is in her unsparing dissection of the ambiguities, contradictions and occasional hypocrisy of identity politics and cultural instrumentalism...' -Museum Journal, "Munira Mirza has produced a challenging and indeed urgent thesis concerning the politics of culture and cultural policy today." - Jim McGuigan, Loughborough University, UK "Munira Mirza helps us to think again about the complex relations between the universal value of supporting culture and the challenges of responding to local and minority communities. Her trenchant and insightful analysis will point cultural producers and policy makers alike in new and fruitful directions." - Iwona Blazwick OBE, Director ofWhitechapel Gallery, UK "In this invigorating analysis, Munira Mirza tackles head-on the problematic issues of 'cultural diversity' and calls for a new, critical universalism in contemporary cultural policy. Informed by both scholarly enquiry and a deep engagement with organisational practice, Mirza's book exposes the contradictions that arise when identity politics drive the arts. With insights grounded in revealing case-studies, Mirza navigates these difficult waters with considerable skill. Theoretically well-informed, but free from academic jargon, the book will be of interest to students, academics and arts professionals alike. Provocative, challenging, sometimes contrarian, it is a welcome addition to the growing literature on 'cultural value.'" - Oliver Bennett, University of Warwick, UK, 'Munira Mirza has produced a challenging and indeed urgent thesis concerning the politics of culture and cultural policy today.' - Jim McGuigan, Loughborough University, UK 'Munira Mirza helps us to think again about the complex relations between the universal value of supporting culture and the challenges of responding to local and minority communities. Her trenchant and insightful analysis will point cultural producers and policy makers alike in new and fruitful directions.' - Iwona Blazwick OBE, Director ofWhitechapel Gallery, UK 'In this invigorating analysis, Munira Mirza tackles head-on the problematic issues of 'cultural diversity' and calls for a new, critical universalism in contemporary cultural policy. Informed by both scholarly enquiry and a deep engagement with organisational practice, Mirza's book exposes the contradictions that arise when identity politics drive the arts. With insights grounded in revealing case-studies, Mirza navigates these difficultwaters with considerable skill. Theoretically well-informed, but free from academic jargon, the book will be of interest to students, academics and arts professionals alike. Provocative, challenging, sometimes contrarian, it is a welcome addition to the growing literature on 'cultural value'.' - Oliver Bennett, University of Warwick, UK 'This is an important book, which should be required reading for those who think they know it all already...the thesis is convincing and its effect is that of an invigorating, strong, and unsweetened double espresso in a context of far too much diluted, dishonest and compromised froth. Read it!' - Arts Professional "I am struck by its clarity of language and argument. Mirza is unapologetic about using the term 'universal' to mean not we are 'all the same' but that we have the imagination to transcend, through art and culture, our particular biological, historical, geographical or ethnic circumstances. She makes a strong case that 'inclusive' approaches by the guardians of cultural institutions obscure the universal and, therefore, what it is to be human." - Professor Dennis Hayes, Times Higher Education 'Where Mirza is at her best is in her unsparing dissection of the ambiguities, contradictions and occasional hypocrisy of identity politics and cultural instrumentalism...' -Museum Journal
Number of Volumes1 vol.
IllustratedYes
Dewey Decimal306.0941
Table Of ContentPreface Introduction From Confidence to Uncertainty - Cultural Value and What it Means to be Human The Development of Cultural Policy in the UK Rich Mix Centre - a Case Study of a New Arts Centre in East London Oldham - a Case Study of Cultural Policy in an Industrial Town in North England Analysis: the Case for Universalism Epilogue Index
SynopsisIn the twenty-first century, cultural policy is increasingly dominated by the politics of diversity. Cultural institutions lack confidence in their own intrinsic value and seek relevance by promoting diverse identities. Meanwhile, policy-makers see culture as a tool to support marginal groups and address a range of social and economic issues, from community cohesion to urban regeneration. Based on original research and insights, The Politics of Culture charts a long-term shift in policy-making towards the use of culture as an instrument to achieve social and political objectives. This has brought an increase in funding and prestige to cultural institutions but created confusion about what culture is, who it belongs to and what it says about being human. This book puts forward a new understanding of universalism, one which recognizes that our ability to transcend difference is the essence of human culture and democratic politics., The idea of diversity dominates cultural policy in the twenty-first century. Against the perceived elitism of the past, policy-makers seek to use culture to address social exclusion. Drawing on original research, this book exposes problems with this approach, making the case for universalism in cultural and political life.
LC Classification NumberP87-96
