Denmark/ 2. General objectives and principles of cultural policy  

2.2 National definition of culture

Four conceptualisations of culture can be identified in Danish cultural policy since 1961:

• culture as a humanistic concept of art and enlightenment;
• culture as an anthropological / sociological concept;
• culture defined as in terms of experience economy; and
• culture as national identity.

Under the headline, the democratisation of culture from the 1960s to the mid-1970s – Danish cultural policy was founded on grounds of a humanistic concept of art and enlightenment.

During the 1970s, this strategy was transformed into a strategy of promoting cultural democracy. The humanist concept of cultural policy was supplemented by a sociological and anthropological concept of culture, which included the multitude of values, lifestyles and activities of everyday life.

In recent years, culture defined in terms of experience economy and national identity has called attention in Danish cultural policy (see chapter 1 and chapter 4.1).

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