Paper short abstract:

Through a descriptive case study approach, the paper uses the Actor-Network Theory to understand the emergence, evolution and resourcing strategies of charitable actors in the Creative and Cultural Industry in Jamaica.

Paper long abstract:

The ANT approach has been criticised for its perceived suitability as a social theory (Krarup and Blok, 2011), with its genesis in the natural sciences and opposition to macro-level analysis of social phenomena disqualifying it from engaging the 'social' (Bennett, 2007). The criticisms have extended to its applicability to culture, with its detractors arguing that the approach is 'culture blind' (Entwistle and Slater, 2014).

A deeper examination however, shows some interesting connections between our understanding of ANT and the cultural sector, such as ANT's anti-structuralist stance towards social change (Cowan and Carr, 2008). From a theoretical and political perspective, it shifts the analytical lens towards the agency and power of the actors and their actions. This therefore foregrounds the interplay between the social networks at the micro and meso-levels (Montenegro and Bulgacov, 2014). For the cultural sector, this is significant as it seeks to change the policy outlook from one which views the role of the cultural sector as predominantly one of economic, to social development and social justice, and shifting the lens from top-down to bottom-up (Holligan, 2015; Latour, 1999; Madden, 2010; Quartesan et al., 2007).

This paper seeks to bridge the theoretical divide which between social theory and cultural sector, by describing a developing research project on the role of Jamaican Music Industry Philanthropic Foundations and their role in social development. The research employs a descriptive case study approach to unearth these organisations' emergence and particularly how they generate resources at the grassroots level to support their programmes.