Social impacts of the arts
Volume 9 No 9 / March 9, 20119 March 2011
In this issue: Five reports from Canada and the US on the relationship between the arts and the quality of life, the correlation between arts participation and civic and social engagement, the potential relationship between video games and the civic engagement of teenagers, differences in happiness among Canadians, as well as an exploration of the measurement of social impacts.
Resources
Social Entrepreneurship: Social Impact Metrics
Arts Research MonitorThis report explores possibilities for measuring the social impacts of organizations’ activities, despite challenges such as “the lack of a common measure of how much good has been done” and the lack of an “agreed unit of social impact” that might be… View this resource
Does Money Matter: Determining the Happiness of Canadians
Arts Research MonitorThis report indicates that “Canada has consistently ranked as one of the happiest nations in the world”. Using measurements from a Gallup World Poll, the Happy Planet Index found that only Costa Rica (8.5), Denmark (8.1), Norway (8.1) and Ireland (8…. View this resource
Teens, Video Games, and Civics
Arts Research MonitorThis survey of 1,102 American youth between 12 and 17 years of age found that 97% of teens play computer, web, portable or console games. In 2008, two of the top five video games were arts-related: Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. Gaming is, i… View this resource
Art-Goers in Their Communities: Patterns of Civic and Social Engagement
Arts Research MonitorThis report examines correlations between participation in the arts and potential civic benefits, based on data from the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, which had a sample of more than 18,000 Americans 18 years of age or older. The s… View this resource
The Arts and the Quality of Life: The Attitudes of Ontarians
Arts Research MonitorBased on a telephone survey of 1,000 adult Ontarians, this report highlights public perceptions regarding the value and benefits of the arts. Comparisons are provided with a similar survey conducted in 1994. The survey results indicate that, when Ont… View this resource
Other Resources
http://hillstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ARM_vol9_no9.pdf