Melissa Nisbett | King's College London (original) (raw)

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Papers by Melissa Nisbett

International Journal of Cultural Policy, Mar 29, 2019

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2015

Global Perspectives, 2022

Since entering mainstream discourse, the term “soft power” has become more popular than ever. The... more Since entering mainstream discourse, the term “soft power” has become more popular than ever. The last ten years has seen the emergence of a number of international polls that rank countries based on their soft power. These rankings have not just coincided with the rise in significance of soft power; they have actively shaped how the term is used and understood. Yet they remain unexamined. This article critically analyzes two of these polls: the Monocle Soft Power Survey and the Portland Soft Power 30 Ranking. While the analysis reveals substantial methodological flaws, this article ultimately concludes that these flaws are irrelevant. The polls neglect the broader context within which they sit and only partially engage with. Further, the polls overstate the primacy of the Western liberal order, while underplaying a creeping authoritarian threat at a time when liberal democracy is in peril. What is more, by recognizing and even celebrating the soft power gains of autocratic regimes,...

Arts & International Affairs, 2021

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2013

This paper reports findings from the analysis of three international policy documents produced by... more This paper reports findings from the analysis of three international policy documents produced by a department of the UK Government, a leading British cultural organisation and a national arts development agency. The analysis takes an unorthodox stance, proposing that the international strategies are rationales for the self-protection, survival and growth of the government department, agency and museum, as opposed to the operational action plans that they first appear or are assumed to be. As such, they bear little relationship to formal policy and should be viewed as organisational stratagems. This research raises a number of questions about the nature, purpose and impact of policy and its making. Calling for a rethinking of key concepts within the field, this article returns to the fundamentals by asking what we mean by cultural policy and how we conceptualise and study it empirically.

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2013

Museums are increasingly recognised as having a role to play within international relations, to f... more Museums are increasingly recognised as having a role to play within international relations, to facilitate cultural exchange, assert national identity and foster mutual understanding. Whilst international work is perceived to be politically motivated and diplomatically advantageous, it can be highly beneficial to cultural institutions. In this paper, ‘cultural diplomacy' is shown to be a strategy used by museums to enable organisational development and economic growth. This paper demonstrates how national museums adopted a political rhetoric and used strategic lobbying to formulate a new cultural policy, which expanded the scale and scope of their international work. By defining the parameters and principles of this policy, the institutions wield power, thus challenging the conventional perceptions of policy-making and contradicting commentators who accuse museums of political subservience. Throwing the notion of instrumentalism into disarray, this paper calls for a theoretical and conceptual rethinking, to revamp understanding and bring it in line with practice.

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2014

This thesis examines the emergence of 'cultural diplomacy' within UK cultural policy to e... more This thesis examines the emergence of 'cultural diplomacy' within UK cultural policy to explore the policy-making process. The literature review in Chapter Two observes that instrumental cultural policies are largely discussed in philosophical and binary terms, rather than being investigated empirically or a more nuanced approach taken. Questions are raised as to the empirical grounding of cultural policy studies and a disconnection between theory and practice is identified, which proves to be a recurrent theme. The focus then shifts to an exploration of the methodological framework in Chapter Three. Based on a narrative account, the empirical process is defined, described and justified, outlining the sampling strategy, data collection methods and data analysis process. Within this, an empirical vacuum within cultural policy studies is revealed. Chapter Four argues that the written policy and strategy documents are rationales for the protection, survival and growth of the go...

The war in Iraq already began during our preparations for the printing of our Heritage at Risk Re... more The war in Iraq already began during our preparations for the printing of our Heritage at Risk Report 2002/2003. The devastating consequences for the rieh cultural heritage of this country with its witnesses of thousands of years of history in Mesopotamia, the "cradle of mankind", can not yet be estimated. The entire world is shocked about the shameless looting and destruetion of museums, libraries and archives. Our next H@R will surely give another aecount of the Situation of monuments and sites in Iraq. Therefore, this time we have restricted ourselves to the Statements made by ICOMOS and Blue Shield before the war and are quoting from other reports and appeals. We are grateful to be able to use photographs of some important historic sites taken by Karl Weibl at the beginning of 2003:

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2019

Sociology of the Arts, 2019

It is widely reported that international student cohorts present pedagogical challenges. This cha... more It is widely reported that international student cohorts present pedagogical challenges. This chapter tells the story of a research project undertaken at a leading British university to investigate how ‘cultural diversity’ was understood and experienced by staff and students on a creative industries programme. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students and staff, and the data revealed a range of tensions around cultural difference, social integration and cultural adaptation, particularly in relation to the Chinese students, which comprised almost half of the cohort. A variety of social and cultural factors collided in the classroom, creating misunderstandings, causing resentment and highlighting a general lack of intercultural awareness and competence. Cultural diversity was recognised and positively encouraged, yet its inherent complexities were not fully understood. This chapter calls for the development of a collective intercultural competence, better recognition of ...

Culture, Economy and Politics, 2015

This book seeks to advance understanding of cultural policy, public policy and politics. In pays ... more This book seeks to advance understanding of cultural policy, public policy and politics. In pays particular attention to the way in which cultural policy responded to, and sought to shape, changing relations between culture and economy. It does so via a case study of cultural policies in the UK between 1997 and 2010.

International Journal of Cultural Policy, Mar 29, 2019

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2015

Global Perspectives, 2022

Since entering mainstream discourse, the term “soft power” has become more popular than ever. The... more Since entering mainstream discourse, the term “soft power” has become more popular than ever. The last ten years has seen the emergence of a number of international polls that rank countries based on their soft power. These rankings have not just coincided with the rise in significance of soft power; they have actively shaped how the term is used and understood. Yet they remain unexamined. This article critically analyzes two of these polls: the Monocle Soft Power Survey and the Portland Soft Power 30 Ranking. While the analysis reveals substantial methodological flaws, this article ultimately concludes that these flaws are irrelevant. The polls neglect the broader context within which they sit and only partially engage with. Further, the polls overstate the primacy of the Western liberal order, while underplaying a creeping authoritarian threat at a time when liberal democracy is in peril. What is more, by recognizing and even celebrating the soft power gains of autocratic regimes,...

Arts & International Affairs, 2021

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2013

This paper reports findings from the analysis of three international policy documents produced by... more This paper reports findings from the analysis of three international policy documents produced by a department of the UK Government, a leading British cultural organisation and a national arts development agency. The analysis takes an unorthodox stance, proposing that the international strategies are rationales for the self-protection, survival and growth of the government department, agency and museum, as opposed to the operational action plans that they first appear or are assumed to be. As such, they bear little relationship to formal policy and should be viewed as organisational stratagems. This research raises a number of questions about the nature, purpose and impact of policy and its making. Calling for a rethinking of key concepts within the field, this article returns to the fundamentals by asking what we mean by cultural policy and how we conceptualise and study it empirically.

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2013

Museums are increasingly recognised as having a role to play within international relations, to f... more Museums are increasingly recognised as having a role to play within international relations, to facilitate cultural exchange, assert national identity and foster mutual understanding. Whilst international work is perceived to be politically motivated and diplomatically advantageous, it can be highly beneficial to cultural institutions. In this paper, ‘cultural diplomacy' is shown to be a strategy used by museums to enable organisational development and economic growth. This paper demonstrates how national museums adopted a political rhetoric and used strategic lobbying to formulate a new cultural policy, which expanded the scale and scope of their international work. By defining the parameters and principles of this policy, the institutions wield power, thus challenging the conventional perceptions of policy-making and contradicting commentators who accuse museums of political subservience. Throwing the notion of instrumentalism into disarray, this paper calls for a theoretical and conceptual rethinking, to revamp understanding and bring it in line with practice.

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2014

This thesis examines the emergence of 'cultural diplomacy' within UK cultural policy to e... more This thesis examines the emergence of 'cultural diplomacy' within UK cultural policy to explore the policy-making process. The literature review in Chapter Two observes that instrumental cultural policies are largely discussed in philosophical and binary terms, rather than being investigated empirically or a more nuanced approach taken. Questions are raised as to the empirical grounding of cultural policy studies and a disconnection between theory and practice is identified, which proves to be a recurrent theme. The focus then shifts to an exploration of the methodological framework in Chapter Three. Based on a narrative account, the empirical process is defined, described and justified, outlining the sampling strategy, data collection methods and data analysis process. Within this, an empirical vacuum within cultural policy studies is revealed. Chapter Four argues that the written policy and strategy documents are rationales for the protection, survival and growth of the go...

The war in Iraq already began during our preparations for the printing of our Heritage at Risk Re... more The war in Iraq already began during our preparations for the printing of our Heritage at Risk Report 2002/2003. The devastating consequences for the rieh cultural heritage of this country with its witnesses of thousands of years of history in Mesopotamia, the "cradle of mankind", can not yet be estimated. The entire world is shocked about the shameless looting and destruetion of museums, libraries and archives. Our next H@R will surely give another aecount of the Situation of monuments and sites in Iraq. Therefore, this time we have restricted ourselves to the Statements made by ICOMOS and Blue Shield before the war and are quoting from other reports and appeals. We are grateful to be able to use photographs of some important historic sites taken by Karl Weibl at the beginning of 2003:

International Journal of Cultural Policy, 2019

Sociology of the Arts, 2019

It is widely reported that international student cohorts present pedagogical challenges. This cha... more It is widely reported that international student cohorts present pedagogical challenges. This chapter tells the story of a research project undertaken at a leading British university to investigate how ‘cultural diversity’ was understood and experienced by staff and students on a creative industries programme. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students and staff, and the data revealed a range of tensions around cultural difference, social integration and cultural adaptation, particularly in relation to the Chinese students, which comprised almost half of the cohort. A variety of social and cultural factors collided in the classroom, creating misunderstandings, causing resentment and highlighting a general lack of intercultural awareness and competence. Cultural diversity was recognised and positively encouraged, yet its inherent complexities were not fully understood. This chapter calls for the development of a collective intercultural competence, better recognition of ...

Culture, Economy and Politics, 2015

This book seeks to advance understanding of cultural policy, public policy and politics. In pays ... more This book seeks to advance understanding of cultural policy, public policy and politics. In pays particular attention to the way in which cultural policy responded to, and sought to shape, changing relations between culture and economy. It does so via a case study of cultural policies in the UK between 1997 and 2010.