Increasing the level of Cultural Participation among Multicultural Groups: Research Proposal

Summary of research proposal

Expanding the capacity to increase cultural participation is not a new issue but its interconnection in the context of globalization is presenting complex challenges to arts and cultural organizations.  The research will focus on the multi-ethnic residents who live and work in the city’s diverse communities. Unlink existing models, this proposal views cultural diversity not as a problem to be controlled by top-down policies, but as an asset for the development of the local community. In view of that, our research hypothesizes that engaging multi-ethnic populations will more likely foster “cultural equity” as prerequisite for increasing public participation in cultural activities. The study will address different factors affecting the individual’s participation including:

1.Background, including socio-demographic and socio-cultural factors and past experience;

2.Perceptual, including personal beliefs and perceptions of social norms that lead to attitudes toward arts participation;

3.Practical, including factors that affect an individual’s intention or decision to participate;

Research questions

1.How people from different multicultural groups live in communities use the arts and other forms of creative effort to express their attachment to places?

2.What are the motivations behind individuals’ involvement in the arts?

3.Why some forms of participation are more popular than others?

4.Why do they participate in different ways? And why do they choose specific types of arts?

5.What are the community’s cultural resources and assets?

6.What shared cultural values support that community and its way of life?

Data collection methods:

1.User-Research – consists of observations targeted at understanding the end user. Unlike participatory observation, this method suggests a more detached perspective and more focused.

2.Secondary Research: Analysis of the existing manuscripts, including social and cultural research targeted at understanding the forces that affect the research topic. Usually, this involves some form of content analysis.

3.Photo/video ethnography – consists of video tapping or photographing specific activities in the user’s life.

4.In-depth interviews – informally interviewing the user in their environment.

5.Online survey – web-based survey instrument such as Zoomerang.

[Research Development Framework –Adapted from Charles Bezerra (2005) .Building Innovative Competencies]

Perceived benefits of the study

Findings from the research can be helpful in terms of suggesting initiatives that complement the existing arts and cultural infrastructure. By gaining a better understanding the complex factors affecting individual’s participation, the study will suggest how arts organizations can develop more targeted and, therefore, more effective strategies for encouraging participation.

[Benefits from the Arts Experience]

Adapted from Gifts of the Muse. RAND Corporation