CULTURE, POLICY AND SOCIETY

The course aims to introduce students to the analysis of culture as a field of public policy and governance. It provides conceptual and analytical tools to understand how the cultural and creative sectors are shaped by institutional choices, regulatory frameworks, and political priorities, and how they influence politics and society.

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By the end of the course, students will be able to: • understand the social and political relevance of the cultural and creative sectors; • identify the main actors and interests involved in their governance; • explain how public policies and market dynamics interact in shaping cultural activities; • critically assess policy choices and institutional arrangements in the cultural field.

The course examines culture as a domain of public policy and governance. It reflects the plurality of perspectives and professional experiences brought into the classroom by guest speakers, whose contributions are connected by a shared analytical framework focused on actors, institutions, policy instruments, and governance dynamics within the cultural field. Among the topics addressed during the course are: the relationship between cultural heritage, public space, and local development, together with questions of responsibility, participation, and shared governance in cultural heritage protection and enhancement; museums and cultural institutions as instruments of diplomacy, soft power, and international cultural relations; the notion of “invisible” cultural policy and multilevel governance in the United States; the audiovisual sector as a cultural industry, with particular attention to its actors, interests, governance structures, and the interaction between public policies and market dynamics; and some of the conditions for professional sustainability in culture, with a focus on research activities in the field of cultural policies at the European level and on the organisation of the Italian cultural administration and related professional roles.

Teaching materials include slides and readings, which will be made available on My Luiss during the course.

The teaching methodology comprises lectures, case study discussions, student presentations, and meetings with experts.

Attending students will be evaluated on the basis of: • Active class participation, assessed on the quality and continuity of interaction with the instructor, guest speakers, and peers, as well as on the design and delivery of a group presentation related to the course topics (30% of the final grade). • An individual written assignment related to the course topics (70% of the final grade). Non-attending students will be evaluated entirely on the exam date on the basis of: • A written examination covering all the assigned readings and materials available on MyLUISS, including those assigned exclusively to non-attending students (100% of the final grade). The examination is designed to assess a comprehensive, systematic, and critical understanding of the course topics, with particular emphasis on the ability to independently connect different issues and theoretical frameworks.

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