THE WORK OF CULTURAL INTERMEDIARIES AND THE ENDURING DISTANCE BETWEEN PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION

This article raises some critical questions about cultural intermediaries as both a descriptive label and analytic concept. In doing so, it has two main aims. First, it seeks to provide some clarification, critique and suggestions that will assist in the elaboration of this idea and offer possible l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCultural studies (London, England) Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 501 - 515
Main Author Negus, Keith
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Taylor & Francis Group 01.07.2002
Subjects
Bourdieu
Bourdieu, Pierre
Capitalism
Consumption
Consumption (Economics)
Creativity
Cultural aspects
Cultural Capital
Cultural Intermediaries
Cultural studies
Culture
Culture Industries
Industries
Industry
Intermediaries
Occupational Roles
Occupations
Pierre Bourdieu
Production
Production Consumption Relationship
Productivity
Social classes
Social Reproduction
Sociology of work
Symbolism
Work
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Summary:This article raises some critical questions about cultural intermediaries as both a descriptive label and analytic concept. In doing so, it has two main aims. First, it seeks to provide some clarification, critique and suggestions that will assist in the elaboration of this idea and offer possible lines of enquiry for further research. Second, it is argued that whilst studying the work of cultural intermediaries can provide a number of insights, such an approach provides only a partial account of the practices that continue to proliferate in the space between production and consumption. Indeed, in significant ways, a focus on cultural intermediaries reproduces rather than bridges the distance between production and consumption. The paper focuses on three distinct issues. First, some questions are raised about the presumed special significance of cultural intermediaries within the production/consumption relations of contemporary capitalism. Second, how 'creative' and active cultural intermediaries are within processes of cultural production is discussed. Third, specific strategies of inclusion/exclusion adopted by this occupational grouping are highlighted in order to suggest that access to work providing 'symbolic goods and services' is by no means as fluid or open as is sometimes claimed.
Bibliography:Cultural Studies (London, England), v.16, no.4, July 2002: (501)-515
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ISSN:0950-2386
1466-4348
DOI:10.1080/09502380210139089