Marketable religion: How game company Ubisoft commodified religion for a global audience

2021 ◽  
pp. 146954052110620
Author(s):  
Lars de Wildt ◽  
Stef Aupers
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Cultural Background ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry

Videogame companies are selling religion to an overwhelmingly secular demographic. Ubisoft, the biggest company in the world’s biggest cultural industry, created a best-selling franchise about a conflict over Biblical artefacts between Muslim Assassins and Christian Templars. Who decides to put religion into those games? How? And why? To find out, we interviewed 22 developers on the Assassin’s Creed franchise, including directors and writers. Based on those, we show that the “who” of Ubisoft is not a person but an industry: a de-personalized and codified process. How? Marketing, editorial and production teams curb creative teams into reproducing a formula: a depoliticized, universalized, and science-fictionalized “marketable religion.” Why? Because this marketable form of religious heritage can be consumed by everyone—regardless of cultural background or conviction. As such, this paper adds an empirically grounded perspective on the “who,” “why,” and “how” of cultural industries’ successful commodification of religious and cultural heritage.

Simulation Model of Cultural Industry Agglomeration Based on SD-System Dynamics Theory

2013 ◽  
Vol 584 ◽  
pp. 312-317
Author(s):  
Yong Jun He ◽  
Li Ping Fu
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Simulation Model ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Distinctive Character ◽  
Industry Agglomeration ◽  
Research Situation

The experience of countries and regions with developed cultural industries has shown that environment of gathering development could boost the cultural industries with distinctive character and good brand, which supports the development of the whole regional cultural industries. Gathering development could strongly bring the cultural industry stronger. This paper, on the current research situation of cultural industry agglomeration studying, introduces system dynamics theory into the research of cultural industry gathering, builds its model on system dynamics theory.

scholarly journals The Theory of the Cultural Industries: A “Milieu” for Building Dynamic Knowledge

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric George
Keyword(s):  
Nous Allons ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Important Work ◽  
Close Collaboration ◽  
The Past ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Social Logic

Over the past 40 years, important work has been done on cultural industries through the close collaboration of researchers in Québec and France, to the point that it has become a question of the theory of cultural industries. In this article, I first examine the institutional contexts that have supported the development of research on this theme within French and Québécoise research groups. I then focus on discussions around the very nature of “the cultural industry” as a research object, as well as its unique characteristics. Thirdly, I address another issue of debate among the protagonists of this text, the concept of a “social logic” (or “model”). Finally, I conclude with a few open-ended questions with the goal of deepening research in this domain.Depuis une quarantaine d’années, d’importants travaux ont été effectués sur les industries culturelles en collaboration étroite par des chercheurs francophones à la fois au Québec et en France tant et si bien qu’il est dorénavant question de théorie des industries culturelles. Dans le cadre de ce texte, nous allons tout d’abord revenir brièvement sur les contextes institutionnels qui ont favorisé le développement de travaux sur ce thème au sein des équipes de recherche française et québécoise. Par la suite, nous mettrons l’accent sur les discussions consacrées à la nature même de l’objet de recherche « l’industrie culturelle », ainsi qu’à ses caractéristiques, voire ses spécificités. Après quoi, nous aborderons un autre enjeu de débat parmi les protagonistes, à savoir celui qui porte sur le concept de « logique sociale » (ou de « modèle »). Enfin, nous conclurons sur quelques questions restées en suspens en vue d’approfondir les recherches dans le domaine.

scholarly journals New Ideas for the Development of Tea Culture Tourism Economy in the Internet Age

2021 ◽  
Vol 275 ◽  
pp. 01051
Author(s):  
Fei Deng
Keyword(s):  
Information Age ◽  
Traditional Culture ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Internet Age ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Times ◽  
Tourism Economy ◽  
Rich History

Tea originated in China and flourished in China. Tea has a long history for China. Tea has given birth to rich history and culture in the long river of history. Tea culture has become an important part of our excellent traditional culture, which has given birth to countless traditional cultural industries. Although with the development of the times, Chinese traditional cultural industry is facing many challenges. Fortunately, the arrival of the information age has brought new opportunities for the traditional cultural industry. This paper analyzes the new ideas brought by the era of “Internet” for the development of tea culture tourism economy, and discusses how to better use information technology to help the development of traditional cultural industry.

scholarly journals Animation Cross-Cultural Communication from the Perspective of Semiotics

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Yan
Keyword(s):  
Production Capacity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Influence ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Communication ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Animation Industry ◽  
Cross Cultural Communication ◽  
The World

<p>In today's globalization, each country in the world is exporting its own economic, political and cultural ideas. The animation industry is part of the cultural industry. China is at a disadvantage in the export in cultural industries. There is a huge gap between China and countries like Japan, Europe and the United States and other countries regarding the animation industry. Therefore, it is necessary to learn the experience and technology of advanced countries to improve ourselves, not only to improve the animation production capacity of China, but also to enhance cultural influence in the international community.</p>

scholarly journals The Survival of Cultural Firms: A Study of Multiple Accounting Parameters in Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1159
Author(s):  
Ma del Pilar Muñoz Dueñas ◽  
Antonio Vaamonde Liste ◽  
Maria do Rosário Cabrita
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Development Factor ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
The Impact

Cultural firms are an important development factor in economic and social terms. Their objectives are often aimed at maintaining and disseminating the traditions and values of societies. The prosperity of these firms in a nation ensures that its tangible and intangible cultural heritage is made known to other nations and generations. Despite their importance, little is known about their survival and the factors associated with it. This paper analyses data from 6951 Spanish firms, of which 2105 are cultural firms. We have studied the survival of non-cultural firms in comparison with cultural firms and also the impact that profitability, solvency and indebtedness may have on their survival. We have used the Kaplan–Meier method in order to assess their survival and the Harrington–Fleming test and the Cox regression model to check the statistical significance of variables. These variables are key factors influencing the survival of cultural enterprises. Particularly, low solvency in firms increases by twenty the risk of disappearance. This paper contributes to literature highlighting some of the key factors for the survival of cultural enterprises. It provides administrations with a roadmap in order to implement measures for the promotion of the cultural industry, favouring the process of enhancement of cultural heritage.

Conclusion

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dal Yong Jin
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Global Markets ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Cultural Products ◽  
Cultural Policies ◽  
Korean Wave

This chapter first summarizes the major characteristics of the New Korean Wave. It then considers whether we need to develop non-Western media theories to explain the rapid growth of local popular culture in the global markets or whether we have to apply and utilize current forms of these theories. It also discusses what we have to keep in mind in further studies on the Hallyu phenomenon in the midst of globalization, which will be a good case study for several other emerging local markets. It argues that producers in the Korean cultural industries need to develop the unique culture through the hybridization process. The Korean government and cultural industry corporations also play a key role in developing cultural policies and cultural products. By doing so, Korea will be able to make a compelling case for the growth of local popular culture and digital technologies in the global markets.

Supra-Industry Technologies in the Mechanism of Financing of Cultural Industries in Russia

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-43
Author(s):  
N. Mal'shina
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Culture Industry ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Cultural Services

The main goal of this work is to develop effective forms of financing for cultural industries. Information and methodological elements were formed. ensuring the process of logistics of the cultural services system. As a result, there is an objective need for system monitoring of the database of cultural industry organizations and innovative use of modern information technologies in solving complex economic problems to justify optimal solutions with a variety of alternative options.According to the author's classification of cultural services into passive and active, it is possible to distinguish two ways in the development of basic technologies and in the cultural industry. Mechanisms of innovative interaction of cultural institutions with business and government structures can be divided into several types: project financing (support for certain projects); social innovation and investment (support coincides with certain business strategies); donation interaction with business on a philanthropic basis; investment exchanges for cultural, art and creative projects; service contract (life cycle contract); fundraising for scientific (educational) and cultural services; concessions in the cultural industry; business incubators as a multiplier-accelerator for the culture industry (support for the system of cultural services at an early stage) , etc. The development and application of cross-industry information and communication technologies gives the largest volume of production of cultural services with a low cost, due to the scale of production.

scholarly journals Commodification of Religion and Pop Culture on Social Media: Netnographic Studies

2018 ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Naili Ni'matul Illiyyun
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
Islamic Law ◽  
Pop Culture ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Muslim Communities

Instagram accounts owned by cultural industry have been followed by millions of followers and are not limited to a group of people in a country because cyberspace creates unlimited communities. Cultural industries that use Instagram place halal (allowed in Islam) and syar'i (based on Islamic law) labels as important elements in promoting their commodities. The following article tries to look at the commodification of several posts on Instagram that are related to religious identity and the implications that are formed by the cultural industry in Muslim communities. The following qualitative research is analyzed by content analysis based on data collection - neographic studies - from several Instagram accounts, such as travel, fashion, and cosmetics agent acoounts which utilize Islamic attributes. The results of this study indicate that the cultural industry always introduces new trends of pop culture through Instagram by using religious attributes, such as using the terms halal, syar'i, or Muslim. Religion as an agency is widely used by the cultural industry in advertising its commodities. In addition, the agency is a tool to persuade consumers to buy commodities and at the same time it is able to identify consumers as pious and modern Muslims.

scholarly journals The Intangible Cultural Landscape of the Banda Primitiva de Llíria

2021 ◽  
pp. 69-99
Author(s):  
Virginia Santamarina-Campos ◽  
José Luis Gasent-Blesa ◽  
Pau Alcocer-Torres ◽  
Mª Ángeles Carabal-Montagud
Keyword(s):  
Collective Action ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Fundamental Importance ◽  
Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Shared Culture ◽  
Valencian Region

AbstractThe Banda Primitiva de Llíria is presented as an open heritage resource, which has been built on the uses, values and symbols assigned to it by the local town of Llíria and its inhabitants over the musical society’s two centuries of history. This work focuses on analysing how this musical phenomenon contributes to positioning creativity and cultural industries at the centre of local development, reinforcing the identity elements of Llíria and the Valencian Region. It intends to support the safeguarding, respect and awareness of one of the oldest civic bands in Spain, providing greater visibility and creating positive recognition of the fundamental importance of this form of intangible cultural heritage for social cohesion and development, in an environment that is transformed into one of collective action, shared culture and creativity.

scholarly journals Youth fans of global popular culture: Between prosumer and free digital labourer

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahma Sugihartati
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Frankfurt School ◽  
Culture Industry ◽  
Cultural Industries ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Global Culture ◽  
Culture Studies ◽  
Critical Attitude ◽  
Cultural Texts

The subculture of urban global popular-culture youth fans is believed to be a resistance-subculture against the hegemony of dominant power. This study, however, found that the subculture given rise to by the urban, global popular-culture youth fans of ‘the Mortal Instruments’ in Indonesia is in opposition to the Neo-Gramscian thought which has become the foundation of popular-culture studies. In constructing their identity, some of the digital fandoms of global popular culture have been critical of the content of cultural texts as a form of resistance against texts produced by cultural industries. However, they have only been developing artificial forms of resistance within the system, that is, in fan sites. This study found that the urban youths joining digital fandoms are not free from the hegemony of capitalism because they have become playlabourers, engaging in free digital labour for the powers of the global culture industry. This critical attitude of urban youths, in building their digital fandom-subculture identity, is incapable of standing against the system. They even position themselves within the network of cultural-industry capitalism – identified by the Frankfurt School as the domination and superiorization of the industry power of global entertainment that is continually self-restoring.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document