Macquarie University

Sociology of the Arts - SOC341

To what extent is art a form of collective action rather than individual creation? What are the social and institutional arrangements that make art possible? How is art aesthetically defined, produced and distributed? Drawing upon classical sociological statements on art and society, as well as contemporary research on art and art worlds, this unit focuses on the institutional arrangements and social networks – between artists, critics, patrons, audiences and institutions – that make art possible. Topics include aesthetics in social life; the role of the artist in creative economies; art movements and social change; the politics of art institutions, as well as the intriguing question of whether or not art works have their own agency, mediating social relationships in powerful, albeit, unexpected ways.

Timetable Information

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