The newly published volume Engagement with Culture in Transformative Times, edited by Susanne Janssen and Marc Verboord (ESHCC’s Department of Media and Communication, EUR), together with Nete Nørgaard Kristensen (University of Copenhagen), offers a comprehensive and timely exploration of how culture is understood, practiced, and valued across Europe.
Against the backdrop of globalisation, digitalisation, growing diversity and social inequality, the book offers timely and critical insights into the role of culture and cultural participation in the daily lives of Europeans from different social groups and countries. In fifteen thematic chapters, it explores how residents of nine European countries engage with and experience culture, with particular attention given to the perspectives of migrants.
The book is based on extensive empirical research conducted as part of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 INVENT project (European Inventory of Societal Values of Culture as a Basis for Inclusive Cultural Policies). Fieldwork was carried out in nine countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Croatia, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The project was coordinated by Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) under the leadership of Susanne Janssen, in close collaboration with Marc Verboord and representatives from the partner universities, bringing together a diverse, international team of researchers. Many of them contributed to the book, including EUR team members Sylvia Holla, Alysa Karels, and Julia Peters. The collaborative work of the INVENT consortium has provided a rich empirical foundation for cultural research, policymaking, and practice.
The INVENT project and book offer an inclusive, bottom-up perspective on how ‘ordinary’ citizens across Europe perceive and engage with culture. Using a rich mix of methods, the book explores cultural participation through three key themes: how people understand and practise culture; how globalisation, migration, and digitalisation influence cultural life; and how cultural activities contribute to personal and societal values such as well-being, openness, tolerance, and solidarity.
The findings reveal a complex and diverse cultural landscape, far from uniform. Cultural perceptions, practices, opportunities for participation, and the related benefits vary greatly across different social groups and contexts. This underscores the limits of one-size-fits-all cultural policy and calls for a ‘social turn’ that embraces cultural diversity, addresses inequality, and prioritises inclusion, social connection, and shared public values.
Full publication details
Janssen, S., Kristensen, N. N., & Verboord, M. (Eds.). (2025). Engagement with Culture in Transformative Times: Mapping the Societal Drivers and Impacts of Cultural Understandings, Practices, Perceptions, and Values across Europe (1st ed.). Routledge. 368 pages. Available in print and open Access at https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003460497
- Professor
- Professor
- More information
Additional information on INVENT:
