The Center for Cultural Affairs was created to fill a gap in the field of cultural affairs. The CCA is focused on producing high-quality scholarship and serving as both a training ground and connecting hub for researchers in the field.
The term ‘cultural affairs’ refers to public engagement with arts and culture. As a field of study, it consists of several subfields, including cultural economics, cultural management, arts management, arts administration, cultural entrepreneurship, cultural policy, and more. Within each subfield, and the larger field of cultural affairs, scholars from various disciplines study issues around public engagement with arts and culture. Disciplines include, but are not limited to, economics, anthropology, sociology, history, geography, neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, folklore, and more. In other words, the field of cultural affairs is interdisciplinary and is made up of various subfields, in which scholars from various disciplines study issues around public engagement with arts and culture.
The Center for Cultural Affairs at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs aspires to be a leading force in advancing the field of cultural affairs. The CCA envisions itself as a catalyst for the development of rigorous, objective, and critical scholarship in the field of cultural affairs. Paramount to this work, the CCA will be a connecting node for the community of cultural affairs researchers. Along with that, the CCA strives to be the foremost training ground for the next generation of cultural affairs researchers.
The mission of the Center for Cultural Affairs at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs is to advance the understanding of the place of arts and culture in public life. The CCA will facilitate a network of scholars and practitioners interested in advancing cultural affairs research, produce high-quality and relevant research on arts and cultural policy and management issues, and serve as a resource to the arts and cultural sector.
An interconnected community of scholars and practitioners is essential to advancing the field of cultural affairs.
The definition of cultural affairs should be broad and inclusive.
Arts and culture are fundamental to society.
Cultural affairs research should be rigorous and objective.
