Introducing Critical Rural Theory into the Arts Management Toolbox
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21637003 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elise Lael Kieffer (0000-0002-2965-2956, Murray State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 267-282 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Arts Management Law and Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1063-2921 • E-ISSN: 1930-7799 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10632921.2025.2541001 |
| OpenAlex | W4415146529 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
This article introduces Critical Rural Theory as a lens worthy of consideration for researchers, scholars, arts educators, and practitioners working in and with rural communities. Although rural communities boast a thriving arts and cultural sector, it differs in form and function from its urban counter-sector. These differences have traditional been understood as deficiencies, rather than simply, differences. Neglecting the unique challenges and opportunities that rural arts organizations face or relegating them to “other” status, has perpetually disadvantaged arts managers working in rural places. Resource allocation, audience engagement, and organizational legitimacy are just a few of the many aspects of arts management that are affected by the urbannormative model of arts management education that pervades current research and practice. By looking through the lens of Critical Rural Theory, this paper advocates for a reimagining of arts leadership and management strategies that are tailored to the specific contexts of rural spaces. Recognizing and valuing the distinct cultural, social, and infrastructural characteristics of rural communities, this exploration calls for a critical reassessment of how arts management researchers and practitioners engage with rural communities, ultimately promoting self-determination and innovative practices that reflect the true diversity and potential of rural arts landscapes
Critical theory · The arts · Toolbox · Crafts, Textile, and Design · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Rural development and sustainability
The new countryside?Ethnicity, nation and exclusion in contemporary rural Britain
Gentrification and the Artistic Dividend
Creative Placemaking
Contradictions of the Welfare State
Four Views on NPR’s A View from Appalachia
Cultural Democracy, Cultural Equity, and Cultural Policy
The Politics of Resentment
Rural empowerment through the arts
More than meets the eye
The creative countryside
The Insta-Gaze
| Highly cited | No |
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