Of Culture, the Economy, Cultural Production, and Cultural Producers: An Orientation

Abstract

The task of this orientation paper is to connect the explorations of cultural industries that are contained in the following papers to a concern with cultural development broadly defined in Canada’s opening economy. It addresses this task in Parts I and II by defining a series of connecting terms and reviewing the adequacy of the relevant literature. Part I outlines the nature of culture and cultural development, four models of cultural development, cultural development policies and programs, and cultural development and political realities. Part II discusses the economy, open and closed economies, and the likely socio-economic and socio-cultural implications of Canada’s opening economy. Part III considers the nature of the infrastructure which supports cultural industries in Canada. It then turns to provisions for education in the creative arts and the status of cultural workers.