Practice versus a Discourse of Practice in Cultural Management

As the field of cultural management continues to develop, it needs a discourse of practice to accompany more common discussions of practice as an aid to improve the field. Discussions of practice focus on the "how to" aspects of the field concerned with utilitarian and action-oriented aims (e.g., how to write a grant, increase audiences, or write a fundraising plan). A discourse of practice questions basic assumptions about common or best practices, scrutinizes ethical and epistemological foundations, and examines the deeper structures of ways of doing and thinking within a field. In summary, a discourse of practice emphasizes the role of scholarly inquiry in the development of the field, especially in the area of norms and practices; it is research that adopts a critical, rather than merely a descriptive, stance. One important practical intention of such a discourse is to elevate our appreciation and understanding of the role of the cultural manager, thereby deepening the perceived value of culture and the arts in the context of larger society.