Introduction

One means of bridging the gap between economics and culture is to propose an approach to representing cultural phenomena that captures their essential characteristics in a manner comprehensible within both an economic and a broadly cultural discourse. Such a means is provided by the concept of ‘cultural capital’. Although this term is in use in sociology to describe certain characteristics of individuals, it is gaining acceptance in economics in a somewhat different form, much closer to the ideas about capital which have long been standard in economic thought. As we shall see below, cultural capital in an economic sense can provide a means of representing culture which enables both tangible and intangible manifestations of culture to be articulated as long-lasting stores of value and providers of benefits for individuals and groups. It can be suggested that both cultural theorists and economists should be able to recognise these sorts of attributes in culture from their respective disciplinary standpoints; if so, the concept of cultural capital can provide a common basis from which the analysis of both economic and cultural aspects of cultural goods, services, behaviour and other phenomena can proceed.