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‘sensation’, while Walmsley uses ‘engagement’. Everett and Barrett refer directly
to the ‘benefits from emotional and aesthetic engagement’. Foreman-Wernet and
Dervin identify a spiritual or transcendent aspect of cultural experiences in ‘truth/
beauty’.
Themes related to learning and thinking, provocation, challenge and
intellectual stimulation (see Appendix Table A-3)
Only three of the five studies reviewed here explicitly identify learning and
cognitive growth as major themes in their respondents’ descriptions of their
experiences; however, in these three cases, the responses that are grouped into
the cognitive /learning themes are very consistent. Radbourne et al refer to
‘knowledge transfer or learning’ while Foreman-Wernet and Dervin refer to
‘cognitive/intellectual growth’ and Everett and Barrett use the term ‘cognitive
benefits’.
Themes related to aesthetic growth, discovery, aesthetic validation and
creative stimulation (see Appendix Table A-4)
Interestingly, none of the qualitative studies reviewed here single out the development
of aesthetic sensibilities as a theme in their informants’ responses. This
may result from aesthetic responses being subsumed under other themes within
the respondents’ reflections (eg, aesthetic growth might be reported as a form of
learning). Indeed, Hede and White include the experience of new art forms as a
subcomponent of innovation, along with exploring ideas and learning new things.
Themes related to social connectedness, sense of belonging, shared
experience, social bridging and social bonding (see Appendix Table A-5)
With the exception of Walmsley, all of the qualitative research studies found the
social aspects of cultural participation to be a consistent theme. The importance
of the sense of belonging and social connectedness that derives from cultural experiences
(arguably even when the experience takes place in solitude) appears to
be the aspect on which there is most clear consensus both within and between the
quantitative and qualitative studies. For example, Radbourne et al refer to ‘collective
engagement’ while Foreman-Wernet and Dervin frame social benefits as
‘community/connection’. Everett and Barrett refer directly to ‘social benefits’ and
go further in identifying ‘benefits from sustained engagement with place’.
Besides the themes that align with quantitative indicators of individual impact,
two additional themes repeatedly appear in the qualitative studies:
Measuring Individual Impact: Qualitative Research 87
UNDERSTANDING the value and impacts of cultural experiences