nep-cul New Economics Papers
on Cultural Economics
Issue of 2025–09–29
two papers chosen by
Roberto Zanola, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale
  1. The Many Faces of Moradi’s Music: A Comparative Analysis of Situational Identities By Ziaoddini, Kajwan
  2. Les politiques de financement et les enjeux de coopération multilatérale dans le domaine du théâtre au Cameroun By Ginette Ngo Mintoogue
  1. By: Ziaoddini, Kajwan
    Abstract: In November 2024, Iranian musicians Ali Akbar Moradi and Pejman Hadadi toured the US East Coast, performing compositions for the tanbur, a long-necked lute mainly used by the Yarsan followers in western Iran. Despite the largely identical musical content across the concerts, they were all labeled differently. In brochures, artists’ and emcees’ short introductions onstage, and more intimate chats after the concerts, their music might be identified as Iranian, Persian, Kurdish, and/or Yaresan. While some of these titles might be awkward or avoided in Iran due to sociopolitical concerns, they may be deemed suitable for promoting this music among American audiences or the Iranian diaspora in the United States. By comparing the different labels used during Moradi’s 2024 East Coast tour and the way his recordings have been categorized in Iran, this paper examines how labeling processes reflect broader sociopolitical concerns and constraints. Drawing on theories of situational identity (Hall 1996), I argue that social contexts determine not only the way Moradi’s music has been categorized but also the connotations the same category may evoke among different demographics within and outside Iran. In this study, I use participant observation and unstructured interviews with artists and facilitators during and after the events, as well as investigating the labels used for Moradi’s previous recordings in online music streaming databases. This study shows how a seemingly innocuous concert series can serve as a lens for understanding Iran's complex sociopolitical landscape, ethnic/national factions, and ideological perspectives.
    Date: 2025–09–13
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:gfmvb_v1
  2. By: Ginette Ngo Mintoogue (UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2)
    Abstract: Public policies and action in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa raise questions about their legitimacy and effectiveness. These questions are generally analyzed through the prism of governance and the quality of the administrative apparatus, as well as their impact on the populations concerned. In the field of theatre in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, and more particularly in a bilingual country such as Cameroon (French and English are the two official languages), there is an imbalance between state funding measures and the importance of foreign subsidies. This situation has harmful consequences for the development of theatrical activity and the economic situation of artists. This study aims to examine how this funding policy is structured in a context of crisis with regard to public funding of the arts, and to analyze the relationship between these funding bodies and Cameroon. It sets out the scope of this collaboration with the northern countries and cooperation bodies such as la Francophonie, UNESCO, the World Bank, the International Commission for French-Speaking Theatre (CITF), European Union, European Commission, the French and Goethe Institutes as well as embassies, both for the French-speaking African countries (including Cameroon) and for artists, the main stakeholders involved in this issue.
    Abstract: Les politiques et l'action publiques en Afrique subsaharienne francophone soulèvent des questions quant à leur légitimité et leur efficacité. Ces questions sont généralement analysées à travers le prisme de la gouvernance et de la qualité de l'appareil administratif, ainsi que de leur impact sur les populations concernées. Dans le domaine du théâtre en Afrique subsaharienne francophone, et plus particulièrement au Cameroun, pays bilingue (le français et l'anglais sont les deux langues officielles), on observe un déséquilibre entre les mesures de financement étatiques et l'importance des subventions étrangères. Cette situation entraîne des conséquences néfastes sur le développement de l'activité théâtrale et la situation économique des artistes. Cette étude vise à examiner comment se structure cette politique de financement dans un contexte de crise du financement public des arts, et à analyser les relations entre ces organismes de financement et le Cameroun. Elle expose la portée de cette collaboration avec les pays du Nord et les organismes de coopération tels que la francophonie, l'UNESCO, la Banque mondiale, la Commission internationale pour le théâtre francophone (CITF), GIZ, l'Union européenne, la Commission européenne, les Instituts français et Goethe ainsi que les ambassades, tant pour les pays d'Afrique francophone (dont le Cameroun) que pour les artistes, principaux intervenants engagés dans cette question.
    Keywords: cooperation, fundings, politique publique action publique théâtre coopération financements public policy public action theatre cooperation fundings, theatre, public action, financements public policy, coopération, théâtre, action publique, politique publique
    Date: 2024–12–10
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05222966
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