The Cultural Wealth Of Nations: Measuring The Global Cultural Hegemony

• In Event: 41020 - Section on Political Economy of the World-System Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Climate and Culture

Abstract

This study aims to deepen the understanding of cultural wealth and its relationship to economic wealth, while exposing global power imbalances between the Global North and South. It explores how cultural wealth, which encompasses the heritage, arts, and traditions of a nation, can influence economic outcomes. The focus is on understanding how cultural assets contribute to a nation’s access to global markets, especially for poorer nations that face significant political and economic barriers to growth. This political economy paper, deeply rooted in the world system, develops an index measuring cultural wealth across 195 nations over 45 years. This quantitative approach identifies the hierarchy of nations and identifies the shifts over time as the Global South converges to play “catch up.” A measurement of cultural hegemony provides a sociological contribution to understanding cultural wealth, demonstrating how it shapes global economic and political landscapes and offering a practical index to measure cultural capital's influence. By addressing the intersection of cultural and economic wealth, this project sheds light on how power imbalances influence global opportunities.

Author

• Sara Bruene, University of California-Riverside