Kulturen bakom kulturen - En komparativ studie av kultursynens inverkan på tyska och svenska kulturpolitiska strukturer

Abstract

This thesis aims to develop a theory in the under researched field of international comparative cultural policy studies. lt does so by combining theories from the fields of political science and cultural studies, researching how and to what extent the concepts of culture of different states have an impact on the way cultural policies are constructed.

The thesis uses this theoretical development in order to research a specific problem, namely the perceived possibility that Swedish and German cultural structures are slowly converging. Two recent official policy documents from each country are the objects of study. Through comparative idea analysis and with Michiel S. D Vries theories on decentralization, the thesis explains the convergence between the countries by differing cultural views between them. Even though arguments often are based on similar grounds, the perspectives make for completely different choices. The thesis shows that rather than the actual arguments, it is the cultural view behind them that sets the agenda.

By combining de Vries theories with cultural policy theory and testing them empirically, the thesis ends up with a further developed theory that deepens our understanding of the interchange between cultural view and cultural structural policy making.