Page 135 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2018 Vol. 44

134 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.10, 2018

that residents’ interest is the core factor affecting their possibility of participation. Measures that
the government has exercised, such as reducing socio-economic cost and supplying diversified
cultural contents, can be only external impacts. Residents’ interest in culture and arts is primarily
determined by their cultural capital. No matter how hard the government has worked, there will
still be a large group of people that are not interested in culture. Over the past decade, the number
of people participating in cultural events has not increased, but decreased in some areas.
Results of a comprehensive social survey launched in the United States in 2012 show that the
number of people participating in cultural and art events because of discount or free admission
only makes up 40.9% of the total surveyed. Social interaction and event experience are the major
motivation of participation. Practices of promoting cultural participation through discount or
free admission in European and American countries also show that merely reducing economic
cost cannot successfully bring about new participants; policy effect of increasing the number of
participants in culture and arts by providing price subsidy is not significant .
〇a ①
Surveys of community residents in China also show that residents from different areas of the
country do not have fixed motivations with respect to the formation of consuming willingness of
cultural products; but instead, they demonstrate the character of instability.
From February to March 2016, the research team of the National Institute of Cultural
Development of Wuhan University carried out a survey of 3,499 residents from 51 communities
in 17 provinces nationwide (5 from the eastern area, 6 from the central area and 6 from the
western area). Survey results show that factors affecting residents’ participation in public cultural
events, listed in a descending order of importance, are participation atmosphere (51.3%), venue
facility and accessibility (44.5%), living conditions (42%), supply mode and quality (37.9%) and
participation cost (33.4%). Other factors, such as environmental condition, accessibility to public
service and individuals’ economic condition, also have important impact .
〇b ②
In the winter vacation of 2017, the research team again carried out a sampling surveyof
participants in culture between urban and rural areas and among different regions nationwide.
11,949 valid individual questionnaires were received from 27 provinces (8 from the eastern area,
8 from the central area and 11 from the western area). Statistics indicate that those considering
living condition the most principal factor affecting cultural participation make up 48.4% of the
total surveyed; percentages of other factors, including atmosphere of cultural participation, cost of
cultural participation, condition and accessibility of facilities of cultural venues, and supply mode
and quality of public cultural service, are 46.1%, 42.8%, 42.8% and 35.5% respectively .
〇c ③
Comparing to the survey of 2016, interviewees surveyed in 2017 considered that living condition
and participation cost are important factors affecting participation motivation. They are not

① Zhang Fenghua: Report on Theories and Experiences of Foreign Cultural Consumption. An internal report, December 2016.
② The research team of the National Institute of Cultural Development of Wuhan University: Research of Population of Cultural
Participation and Its Statistical Index System. An internal report, November 2016.
③ The research team of the National Institute of Culture Development of Wuhan University: Research of Population of Cultural
Participation. An internal report, August 2017.