The Cultural Economy

This article argues that the analytical pendulum has swung too far in prioritizing consumption in analyses of the cultural economy. The article adopts a version of the ‘production of culture’ perspective and is illustrated through discussion of three interrelated fields of the cultural economy: the new economy, creativity and consumption. The article argues in favour of studies of the material culture of production (redefined to take in the whole ‘cycle’ of the making and shaping of cultural commodities) and recommends this as a basis of policy development.