David Stevenson

Background

About David Stevenson

Research Interests: My current research sets out to explore the extent to which the ‘problem’ of cultural non-participation has been constructed in the discourses, policies and practices that have surrounded the current desire to increase access to the arts. Questioning if an exogenous problem truly exists, the aim is to better understand the knowledge and systems of meaning that are central to the way in which different interpretive communities frame the concept of cultural non-participation. In doing so, it is hoped that the research will offer an insight as to why government attempts to increase cultural participation appear to have had little effect. Previous research has explored ideas of cultural value and the methods that can be used to effectively express this to policymakers and funders. My research is primarily qualitative, with a particular interest in ethnomethodology and interpretive policy analysis as approaches that have the potential to give a greater insight into the inherently complex and pluralist landscape in which policy is destined to function. Teaching: Drawing on my academic research alongside ten years of management experience in the public and private sector, I teach on a number of the modules that make up the postgraduate MA in Arts and Cultural Management at QMU, including: • People Management, Governance and Law • Introduction to the Cultural Sector • Cultural Policy • Strategic Management • Production and Project Management • Finance and Fundraising