Abstract
Cultural organisations often serve as guardians of cultural heritage and, as such, cultural sustainability depends on their ongoing vitality. Many organisations in the cultural sector are, however, presently experiencing intense financial pressures. With their traditional sources of funding being progressively cut off, such organisations are focusing increasingly on monetary donations and the volunteering of time on the part of the general public to help plug the financial gap. Promoting and managing such pro-social behaviours can, however, be costly activities in themselves, so it is critical for cultural organisations to be able to target those segments of the public with the greatest propensity to give. This study sets out to address that need. The findings indicate that individuals who were involved in cultural activities as children are statistically more likely to volunteer their time in later life, not only with cultural organisations but also with good causes in general. In certain circumstances, this is also true of donating money. The cultural organisations benefiting from these pro-social behaviours need not be those with which the individual was involved in their childhood; nor need they be associated with the same form of culture. Importantly, continuous involvement in an activity from childhood into adulthood is not a necessary pre-condition for pro-social behaviour in later life.
Highlights
While the concept of sustainability has its roots in environmental thinking, it has become abundantly clear over the last three decades that sustainability considerations reach far beyond the ecological into the economic and socio-cultural realms
The aim of this paper is to provide a greater understanding of the role of childhood participation in culture, and to better understand how it may affect pro-social behaviours directed at organisations both in the cultural sector and more widely
Research suggests that childhood participation in cultural activities has benefits with respect to the development of social capital and civic behaviours, which can benefit both the individuals taking part and society more broadly
Summary
While the concept of sustainability has its roots in environmental thinking, it has become abundantly clear over the last three decades that sustainability considerations reach far beyond the ecological into the economic and socio-cultural realms. Cultural organisations curate and care for tangible elements of culture, such as historical artefacts and works of art, practice and perpetuate intangible forms of cultural heritage, such as literature, music and dance, and they educate society about the form, function and value of their cultural treasures. They are a vital part of the tourism industry, serving as attractions that induce people to visit the destination and spend their money there [4]
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