An intellectual history of contrasting ideas around the power of the arts to bring about personal and societal change - for better and worse. A fascinating account of the value and functions of the arts in society, in both the private sphere of individual emotions and self-development and public sphere of politics and social distinction.

Autorentext
ELEONORA BELFIORE is Assistant Professor of Cultural Policy Studies at the University of Warwick, UK, where she teaches postgraduate courses in British and European cultural policy. Her published work explores the function of the arts in modern societies and the relation of arts policy to other forms of social and economic policy.

OLIVER BENNETT is Professor of Cultural Policy Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. He has published extensively on the politics of culture and is the founding editor of The International Journal of Cultural Policy. He is the author of Cultural Pessimism: Narratives of Decline in the Postmodern World.

Inhalt
Introduction Towards a new approach to researching the social impacts of the arts Corruption and distraction Catharsis Personal well-being Education and Self-development Moral improvement and civilization Political instrument Social stratification and identity construction Autonomy of the art and rejection of instrumentality Conclusions References Index