The Kind of Gentle Push That Increases Appreciation for Culture
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The Kind of Gentle Push That Increases Appreciation for Culture

INCREASING THE CONSUMPTION OF CULTURE AND THE ARTS BY WAY OF NUDGES, AS SUGGESTED BY NOBEL LAUREATE RICHARD THALER, WORKS IN THEORY AS WELL AS IN THE PRACTICE OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

by Alex Turrini, Dept. of Policy Analysis and Public Management, Bocconi
Translated by Alex Foti



Also for 2018, Italy’s budget includes a culture bonus given to eighteen year-olds, a lump sum to be spent on books, music, culture, despite the unsatisfactory take-up ratio registered among the subsidy’s target recipients in 2017. This is an occasion to discuss which measures can be really effective to support the consumption of art and culture, especially during an individual’s most formative years.

At one extreme we find positions favoring freedom of choice by the citizen/user leaving public actors only a residual way with respect to the social and cultural life of individuals. Such libertarian position neglects the fact that consumption of art and culture is cause of important externalities (for example, it contributes to educating citizens that are more honest and sensitive to the common good), and most especially that individuals are perfectly rational actors who know what is best for them. At the other extreme, we find the paternalistic approaches typical of those who are suspicious of the supposed cold rationality of consumers, and believe that only the power of the state and cultural or educational institutions can push citizens to make the right choices (i.e. the one that are most useful for human development and their own intellectual growth).

More recently, another theory has gained approval among academics and policymakers which calls for a compromise between the two positions, while advocating ad-hoc interventions by public decision-makers that are called nudges, in the terminology introduced by Richard Thaler who was rewarded for his theory with the Nobel in Economics this year. The state does not impose choices, but neither resigns itself to play the role of certifier of citizens’ individual wills, instead helping him or her choose the best option. In this sense, looking at other policy areas, we can consider the effectiveness of measures that induce citizens to lose weight by signaling the amount of calories that are burned climbing subway stairs, as well as design of urinals with a fly drawn in the middle, to keep men focused on the target at hand and keep restrooms floors dry. In addition to being effective, these methods are relatively inexpensive, something not to be overlookeed, given the dearth of resources available to public administrations.

The attention for the persuasive detail, to cite Thaler again, can have useful applications in the cultural field. In fact, some experiments have shown that simply redesigning the architecture of a cultural offer can push citizens to make the right choice for themselves. For example, experiments have shown that young people tend to prefer avant-garde music with respect to classical music, when the piece is accompanied by an explanation of the music. Assuming that present interest in music is a good predictor of the choice to buy concert tickets in the future, changing the form of presenting avant-garde music could encourage live attendance, rather than leading people to think that it is incomprehensible for people of average education.

In another experiment, it as shown that the paintings of an artist that arouse positive emotions are more effective in producing curiosity and desire to study his or her work with respect to other paintings by the same artist that conversely cause negative feelings. Also in this case, alongside the curatorial issue concerning which paintings should be included in the exhibit, there is the question of selecting the right sequence of paintings in order to influence subsequent artistic and cultural fruition by visitors.

These examples taken from recent research in experimental aesthetics illustrate how a cultural institution can rethink its offer to maintain its educational mandate, while avoiding excessive experiential marketization, which in many cases depresses artistic content. In short, it is time to design and impart a few nudges to gently push individuals towards a kind of cultural consumption which might perhaps be less intellectually engaged, but more widespread and useful for society and individuals alike.
 

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