Proxies, discourses, and contexts

At the centre of the concerns of this chapter are the ways in which certain discourses are mobilized within public policy as proxies for the social, with the notions of wellbeing, social exclusion and sustainability being noteworthy. The chapter argues that these ‘stand-ins for the social’ are apolitical, fail to address the social causes of disadvantage and inequality, and privilege the individual over the collective. Importantly, none of the cultural policy approaches that are grounded in these discourses challenge the instrumentalism at the heart of the art world complex. These limitations are evident from a consideration of how the grafting of the notion of sustainability onto the creative industries agenda of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, is calling into question the foundational cultural development agenda of the organization.