A1 Journal article (refereed)
Finnish cultural policy as public funding : regime view across policy domains (2022)

Jakonen, O., & Sokka, S. (2022). Finnish cultural policy as public funding : regime view across policy domains. Nordisk Kulturpolitisk Tidskrift, 25(3), 293-313. https://doi.org/10.18261/nkt.25.3.9

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Jakonen, Olli; Sokka, Sakarias

Journal or series: Nordisk Kulturpolitisk Tidskrift

ISSN: 1403-3216

eISSN: 2000-8325

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 25/11/2022

Volume: 25

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 293-313

Publisher: Scandinavian University Press / Universitetsforlaget AS

Publication country: Norway

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18261/nkt.25.3.9

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/84119

Abstract

Public funding is a key part of Nordic cultural policy. This article approaches the Finnish cultural policy regime from the perspective of state funding, which can be seen as a direct demonstration of public cultural policy. We perform an empirical investigation of the state funding for cultural activities using budget data from 2019 supplemented with information given by altogether 53 public officials representing Finnish ministries. Thus, we examine Finnish cultural policy as a public policy through the different governmental policy domains that support and govern artistic and cultural activities with public finances. Cultural support is investigated as a substantive policy aspect of different ministries throughout the Finnish state administration, including policy domains that often are not considered as part of “official” or “sectoral” governmental cultural policies. In this way the article overcomes the strictly sectorized perspective on public cultural policy and illuminates how the Finnish state cultural policy is constructed throughout the administration. Via an examination of public funding streams, we contemplate the central themes of interministerial governance of culture: the boundaries between the policy domains and the respective cultural responsibilities. In all, cultural policy can be regarded as a political balancing act between varying state policy domains that in fact fund and govern culture. From the funding perspective, the Finnish governmental cultural policy regime forms a complex terrain with various separate but also overlapping cultural policy domains. Furthermore, public officials are key players in matters pertaining to cultural budgets and the related information. Finally, there is still significant room for improved coordination among policy domains to implement integrated cultural policies.

Keywords: cultural policy; culture sector; cultural activity; finance; public funding; public administration; central government

Free keywords: cultural policy regime; public funding; policy domain; cultural domain; interministerial governance; Finland

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1