Not only production takes time - so does consumption. The literature related to the problem of the so-called “cost-disease phenomenon” in the live arts has uncovered the inescapable time constraints that shape the production of specific cultural activities. Much less analysis has been devoted to the “cost disease” that affects consumption activities. The paper studies how cultural goods can be prone to high opportunity costs in terms of time because of their specific technology of consumption. It also analyses the technological changes that have helped to relieve some of these costs by rendering consumption time more flexible. On the basis of these analyses, the paper discusses how the differing and changing structure of constraints and rewards affects the relative competitive advantages that some cultural goods enjoy over others. This will be complemented by an extended example: that of ludic reading.
TIME AND PREFERENCES IN CULTURAL CONSUMPTION
BIANCHI, Marina
2008-01-01
Abstract
Not only production takes time - so does consumption. The literature related to the problem of the so-called “cost-disease phenomenon” in the live arts has uncovered the inescapable time constraints that shape the production of specific cultural activities. Much less analysis has been devoted to the “cost disease” that affects consumption activities. The paper studies how cultural goods can be prone to high opportunity costs in terms of time because of their specific technology of consumption. It also analyses the technological changes that have helped to relieve some of these costs by rendering consumption time more flexible. On the basis of these analyses, the paper discusses how the differing and changing structure of constraints and rewards affects the relative competitive advantages that some cultural goods enjoy over others. This will be complemented by an extended example: that of ludic reading.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
