The Cultural Value of Cultural Relations

As part of the Cultural Values Project commissioned by the British Council and the Goethe-Institut, a new literature review has been published. This review looks at the context of "cultural relations" and how it compares to cultural diplomacy, soft power and the like, terms which are often used interchangeably but can have different meanings for different countries.

The literature review exhibited a difference between the British and German connotations of cultural relations. "German cultural relations are founded on a ‘strong’ conception of culture (where culture is closely tied to national history, language and identity)," says Alasdair Donaldson, Insight Editor at the British Council. "In contrast, British cultural relations are based on a ‘weak’ conception of culture, emerging from a tradition of liberal individualism and British empiricism."

The full report "Cultural Value: Cultural Relations in Societies in Transition: A Literature Review" is available for download on the British Council website.