Theoretical Rethinking Cultural Policy Studies: Governmentality, Politics and Public Sphere

Abstract

Cultural policy arrangements are situated in complex discursive contexts where different conflicting social interests, policy objectives and values are important conditions in the everyday life of social actors in the policy field. The dispute on cultural policy studies can also be related to power structure and political and cultural sphere in which cultural policy and activities are exercised. The paper refers back the different concepts within cultural policy discourse, followed by the theoretical reflection on both the Habermasian's and Foucauldian's analytical perspectives of cultural policy studies and aims to explore both critical and practical intellectuality within a cultural policy studies field. This paper sought to broaden the mainstream debate within cultural policy studies.