Cultural impact assessment: a literature review of current practice around the world

Dr. Kim DunphyCultural Development Network, Victoria, Australia

Adriana Partal, RMIT EuropeHeadquarters in Barcelona

The Cultural Development Network is an independent non-profit organisation that links local government, communities, artists and related agencies. We advocate for the essential function of arts and cultural expression in the development of creative, healthy, engaged and sustainable communities. We support local government in their role of assisting and resourcing local communities to make and express their own culture. www.culturaldevelopment.net.auPhoto: Jorge de Araujo, Generations Conference, Melbourne 2009

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Presentation overviewGOAL

a comprehensive international literature review on practices of cultural impact assessment (CIA)

Definition: cultural impact assessment (CIA)

Research approach

Application of CIA

Methodologies for undertaking CIA

Methodological challenges

Theoretical approaches, measures and assessment frameworks

TimeframeProfessional sectors

Geographic locations

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Origin and evolution of impact assessment (IA)

Late 60’SIA had its inception with the establishment of the practice of Environmental Impact Assessment

1970The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in US was the first of many EA laws around the world

1980Foundation of the International Association for Impact Assessment

2000’sOther impact assessment become well-established: economics, social services, health, etc.

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Definition of cultural impact assessment (CIA)

* This is not about an assessment OF culture’s impact, but how to assess impacts ON culture.

CIA: ‘ a process of evaluating the likely impacts of a proposed development on the way of life of a particular group or community of people (…), both beneficial and adverse, (…) that affect, for example, the values, belief systems, customary laws, language(s), customs, economy, relationships with the local environment and particular species, social organisation and traditions of the affected community’.

International Network for Cultural Diversity's Working Group on Cultural Impact Assessment.

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Methodology: research approachResult: 24 articles

Economic Impact

Cultural Capital

Value of Culture

Cultural Regeneration Social

Impact

Cultural Strategies

Cultural statistics

Desk-based research Initial sample of 120 documents 70 articles analysed in-depth

Search term: cultural impact

Late 1980’s

Late 1990’s

Mid 2000’s

Earliest reference of CIAMethodology for measuring cultural impact of innovations such as new products, changes to an organisation, or even a new information system Largely related to initiatives

involving indigenous peopleEnvironmental justice

Indigenous cultural heritage Resource management

Property and state property boundariesConservation of indigenous landscape

Mid 2000’s: broader application of CIACultural developmentCultural heritageLocal development TourismUrban Planning

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Application of CIA: timeframe and professional sectors involved

Led and discussed by: consulting companies, universities, central and local governments. IFACCA, UNESCO, International Network for Cultural Diversity, Secretariat of the Convention on

Biological diversity and IAIA (International Association for Impact Assessment)

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Geographic locations of documented CIA initiatives

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Documented methodologies for undertaking CIA

Mostly methodology not described

More specification in projects related to indigenous issues

THREE CONSISTENT STAGES

Preparatory stageengaging communities

screeningscoping

notifying people in the area

Data collectionidentifying and describing:

cultural resources,

practices and beliefs in the area

Consultationfocus groups, interviews,

public meetings with stakeholders including community members

and government, persons knowledgeable about the historic and traditional practices

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Methodological challenges identified

QUANTITATIVE DATA

TIMESCALE

RESEARCHERS’SENSIBILITY

CONTEXT-UALISATION

Assessment is fraught: seemingly similar cultural phenomena have a different meaning for different peoples

DEFINITIONAL

Culture and cultural impact infrequently defined, leading to challenges in measurement of inadequately defined concept

Limitations: •Potentially inaccurate stakeholders•Data might not count what needs to be counted, if it does not take account of oral educational models. •Misinterpretation cultural realities, if analyses based on settler values. •May not consider dysfunctional models of culture

•CIA processes with very limited timescales are risky. •Measurement of impact over a longer time period offers greater probability of impacts being detected by researchers (Tanner, 2012)

•Well-developed sensibilities about Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge or oral history •This is not ubiquitous amongst researcher and developers they work for (Nakamura, 2013)

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Theoretical approaches, measures, assessment frameworks documented

No specific patterns

or themes evident in

the literature

Ambivalence re desirability of universal and

formal measurement

(Häyrynen, 2004)

because of potential for inappropriate homogenisation

imposition of ideas of civilization based on majority norms or other hegemonic values

inappropriate assumption of one-way cause/effect relationship

Circles of Sustainability model Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT University, Australia

with UN Global Compact Cities Programme

Theoretical approaches, measures, assessment frameworksCultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Circles of Sustainability model Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT University, Australia

with UN Global Compact Cities Programme

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Theoretical approaches, measures, assessment frameworks

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Functions of CIA and relationship with other domains

CIA is documented

mostly as one aspect of

a different type of IA

ENVIRONMENTAL IA • to understand how a new initiative impacts on indigenous culture • also used in cases of legal dispute, strong correlation with cases of

environmental and ecological law

SOCIAL IAThe International Principles for Social Impact Assessment define social impacts as including changes to “people’s culture - that is, their shared beliefs, customs, values and languages or dialect” (Vanclay, 2003).

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

New and divergent understanding of CIA

New use of term CIA emerges in the cultural sector

Cultural sectorOrganisations working with “the arts, museums, libraries and heritage that receive public funding” (Holden, 2006).

In this context, CIA is assessment of the impact of cultural activities,rather than an assessment of the impact of activities on culture.

Relating to cultural value debate, not about the value of culture in the broad sense of the term, but how funded cultural institutions measure the value of their activity

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Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

Recommendations re potential for future applications of CIA

If culture is to be fully recognised as a dimension of sustainable development, there is a need for meaningful approaches to considering impact.

CIA is necessary for the establishment of cultural statistics and indicators to achieve a more culturally sustainable society.

Little published evidence of CIA in relation to culture as a dimension of broader sustainable development, including in local government.

Therefore, new possibilities for application of CIA, particularly in local government where connection to and valuing of local culture/s is strong.

Cultural impact assessment: a literature review, Partal and Dunphy

In conclusion: what the literature tells us about cultural impact assessment …….

Culture … is consistently conceptualized in its broadest sense, as way of life, system of knowledge, beliefs, values and behaviours passed down.

CIA… the process of evaluating the likely impacts of a proposed development on the way of life of a particular community.

CIA…. is most frequently used re indigenous populations.

Strong relationship between CIA and other IA approaches; often subsidiary of environmental and social impact projects.

The cultural sector use CIA to mean impacts of, rather than on culture.

City, Finn DunphyRecommendation: for broader use of CIA to understand the impacts of decisions on the culture/s of urban and rural communities.