Communicating Culture in Practice

Volume 1 of Culture Unbound raised the questions of “What’s the use of cultural research?” (Fornäs, Fredriksson & Johannisson 2009). This question attests to a deep-rooted and ongoing discussion implicit within the social sciences and humanities (cf. Pink 2006). While this thematic section cannot directly answer the question, it intends to engage with the conversation surrounding this topic. Communicating Culture in Practice contributes to this topic with examples of applied cultural research, the specific contexts the research has contributed to, and the issues the authors have grappled with in conducting their research. Being engaged in public discourse as a researcher is a key part of disseminating knowledge and engaging with new contexts. At times, the need to legitimate disciplines that do cultural research, or find research and employment opportunities, pushes researchers towards exploring new contexts and audiences. But this is not the only reason to do applied cultural research.