Measuring the Value of Culture Methods and Examples in Cultural Economics [Paperback]

This book documents the use of methods that put a value on cultural goods, including theater, cultural events, museums, archeological sites, and libraries. The author sets forth the advantages and disadvantages of each method using case studies to illustrate how they work. Moreover, the theoretical background of the methods and the kind of information they can provide are discussed. Both market and non-market valuation techniques are covered.

Interest in, and acknowledgement of, the value of culture and cultural goods is increasing world-wide. So too is interest in valuing the arts so that efficient funding decisions can be made by government and private sponsors. Measuring the Value of Culture documents the use of methods used to put a price on cultural goods, including theatre, heritage, cultural events like arts festivals, museums, archaelogical sites and libraries. The methods discussed include economic impact studies, which use market data, as well as non-market valuation techniques like willingness to pay methods and the newer choice experiments. In addition, advances in more qualitative valuation methods are considered. The book aims to give practitioners a practical guide to conducting such valuation studies, while also providing potential funders with a means of evaluating the results. The theoretical background of the various methods, their potential problems and the kind of information they can provide is also discussed.

From the reviews:

Snowball explores & some new directions in this well written, lucid, and compact study of valuation studies in the field of the arts. & an important book for anyone interested in valuation studies anlC9