Cultural Institutions Studies: Investigating the Transformation of Cultural Goods

This paper aims to present the epistemological foundations of a new scientific focus called “Cultural Institutions Studies” 1 (a translation of the German term “Kulturbetriebslehre”) which has recently been developed a t the Institute of Culture Management and Culture Studies of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Cultural Institutions Studies synthesizes a cultura l, sociological and an economic approach to cultural goods and services. Cultural I nstitutions Studies is concerned with: (1) The formation of cultural goods as meaningful s ymbolic entities and their transformation into cultural commodities, i.e. the process of production, distribution and reception/consumption of cultural goods; (2) The analysis of cultural practices and their in stitutional frames which constitute and regulate the formation of cultural goods and servic es; (3) The examination of specific characteristics of cultural institutions as organizational settings; and (4) The social organization of cultural labor and o ther cultural activities (e.g.-cultural policy, funding and legal systems).