The Impact of Written Words: A New Methodology for Assessing the Impact of Cultural Initiatives on Subjective Well-Being

The article discusses an original conceptual framework and a new methodology for assessing the social impact of cultural initiatives. Through an in-depth literature review, the authors reveal a double gap: a conceptual gap, showing a lack of studies on subjective well-being and quality of life in the cultural field; and a methodological gap, highlighting the limitations of surveys to collect and study data, while evaluations remain a vital point in the cultural sector. As a response, the authors develop on the concept of subjective well-being and propose using automated textual analysis tools to analyze a eterogeneous database of different data sources related to a cultural initiative such as the European Capital of Culture. The article details the objectives of the new approach and its scholarly potential. It highlights some of the critical issues identified along with possible solutions, while its in-depth implementation to specific case studies is left to future research.