Visualizing economics

The cultural sector and economics are often seen as an incompatible combination. A major part of economic behavior in the cultural sector does not fall under the scope of regular economics. In this thesis, the economy is approached from an anthropological perspective. It allows us to see things we would not have seen before. Economics consists of a variety of exchange mechanisms. These exchanges are embedded in social relationships and generate external values. This research explores the use of the various exchange mechanisms in the cultural sector. The main research question is: Of which exchange mechanisms does the economy consist and how do actors in the cultural sector use them? To answer this question, qualitative research using a case study design was conducted. Pictura, an artist society, and De Universiteit, a learning community, served as organizational cases. Pictura artists and a new generation of artists and creative entrepreneurs resemble two groups of individual cases. The use of, and motives behind, the economic actions of actors are explored with the use of observations, focus group- discussions, and individual conversations. The theoretical framework elucidates the logic of the spheres and a spectrum of exchange, namely: gift- and barter exchanges and monetary transactions. Pictura and De Universiteit are placed in the logic of the spheres. In both organizations we see a tension between the community in the social sphere and the professional organization in the market sphere. Both Pictura artists are operating for a major part in the social sphere. They are using gift- and barter exchange to facilitate personal development and build relationships. However, they need monetary transactions to mature their work and generate recognition as professional artists. In the end, as all exchange mechanisms depend on each other, it is the art to make fruitful combinations.