Understanding the economics of culture as a way to overcome the crisis

Abstract

A defence for the need to redefine cultural policies, making them the focus of efforts to end the economic crisis, is presented. Although the intrinsic goal of cultural policy is the satisfaction of citizens´ cultural rights, in most cases even these are not fulfilled. We propose brand new cultural policies that pursue such rights but are also able to lead the transformation of the production model and the achievement of other social goals. The dimensions of the cultural sectors have causal effects on the wealth of European regions. The proposed new policy should recognize intellectual property rights and their economic effects in a new way, facilitate cultural entrepreneurship, democratize the use of the premises and public spaces, and try to understand in more depth the relationship between individuals and cultural facts.