Capital cultural e o subsídio às artes

Abstract

Normally, there are two main arguments for public subsidy to the arts - merit good and public good. Briefly, the reasons given is that the arts have intrisic valves due to their especial nature;and that their consumption causes external positive benefits, there fore to support them is of public interest. However, the reasons put forward are not sustainable when questions aboutaccess to symbolic goods (arts) are taken into consideration. In this sense, the sociological concept of cultural capital becomes useful in better understanding the economic dimensions of supply and demand. The aim of throwing this flash of sociological light into the discussion is toarrive at a more reasonable grasp about the support to the production and consumption -supply and demand - of arts and the reQuired cultural capital for their access.