Identifying values of culture

Abstract

This chapter examines the plurality of cultural values identified across eight case studies within the UNCHARTED project. Employing a qualitative and inductive approach, the research explores cultural participation, cultural production and heritage management, and cultural administration in diverse European contexts. Findings reveal a complex landscape of valuation grammar, where tensions emerge between aesthetic, social, economic, and institutional values. Conflicts such as creative freedom versus market demands and aesthetic excellence versus participatory democracy are highlighted. The study emphasizes the importance of contextualized, non-essentialist analyses to capture the dynamics of value emergence and contestation. It also highlights the significance of bottom-up initiatives in reshaping cultural value configurations. Overall, the chapter argues for a nuanced understanding of cultural valorization processes, considering social, territorial, and institutional specificities, and recognizes the role of cultural practices in reinforcing democratic participation, social cohesion, and identity formation across contemporary European societies.