The editors and contributors of this book dedicate a large part of their academic research to the study of social change from a cultural perspective.

How does change occur in the art world, which specific elements it presents there? How changes in social context impact on the characteristics and evolution of the art world? What are the main drivers at stake, how are they perceived by artists and cultural institutions? How do public policies respond to these drivers, or anticipate them, or even generate them? And so on.

We try to approach these issues from the point of view of social sciences, putting in practice a productive dialogue between sociology and other disciplines, like economics, political science, history and anthropology, and carefully distinguishing the analytical and the normative components of research, both necessary for a full understanding of contemporary cultural change.

This book deals with all these issues isolating Portugal as a case study. The purpose is to discuss general problems in what regards cultural change in contemporary societies taking the Portuguese situation as a relevant example, that deserves a Cultural change in contemporary Portugal proper investigation, comprehensive, holistic and data-based.

The aim is not to offer a full description of that situation, complex and singular as it is, but to use its study as a methodological device to approach broader topics. That is why the book intends to reach an international audience of researchers and students.