Paper short abstract:

This paper explores how the development aid sector operationalises the link between culture and development in lusophone African countries. It aims to provide clues to models of cultural policy that are being diffused and what leeway for policy definition and ownership is contained in such models.

Paper long abstract:

The international discourse around development aid proposes the instrumentalisation of culture based on a positively valued utilitarian objective that is social and economic development (including poverty reduction). A public policy approach would expect this to be consensual among observers, but it is not, as there are potential negative impacts of such instrumentalisation and discussion is polarized. This link between culture and development has been seen with a critical eye by some in the West, and it is now being diffused to developing countries as part of a top-down international agenda.

The interest of this paper is on what model, if any, of cultural policy is being diffused to developing countries and what leeway (degree and type) for policy choice is contained in such agenda. I propose to pitch public policy theories against critical theories and highlight the potential and limitations of each in explaining current processes and in presenting alternatives to existing challenges.

In order to do that I will explore how the link between culture and development is framed in the interaction between donors and five lusophone African countries: Mozambique, Angola, São Tomé and Principe, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. This will be done through discourse analysis of selected policy, programme and project documents for the different countries.