Cultural Welfare: Social Impact and Employment on Territories

The authoress examines the issue of cultural welfare with respect to its social and health impact, and as a tool for individual and societal well-being. The essay also considers empirical evidence in which a decrease in inflammatory markers is found after cultural experiences, so much so as to confirm the therapeutic value of art and culture. It is in this orientation that cultural welfare, recognised by the World Health Organization, is placed. The author analyses both the scientific methodologies of culture-specific impact assessment and the resulting social return on investment, as well as the social impact of culture on the surroundings and on employment. Culture, in fact, stimulates processes of innovation and change both in organisations and on local development governance processes. The essay analyses, therefore, the relationship between tourism and culture on the one hand, and on the relational role between cultural assets and tourist fruition on the other, with the related employment impact (such as development of ancient crafts, generation turnover, territorial marketing) resulting from the enhancement of heritage. There is also a focus on the phenomenon of smart working and projects for the enhancement of villages.