Public Engagement

The National Endowment for the Arts has just released a report "The Arts and Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life", available as a downloadable pdf file at http://www.arts.gov/pub/CivicEngagement.pdf.

The conclusion states "Americans who experience art or read literature are demonstrably more active in their communities than non-readers and non-participants. Their lifestyles reflect the same level of vigor and social commitment as those of sports enthusiasts. ... Thus, literary reading and arts participation rates can be regarded as sound indicators of civic and community health."

The conclusion is based on survey results from the U.S. Census Bureau, summarized in the first five of 10 ten findings. (The summary data are available on the pdf.)

• Literary readers and classical or jazz radio listeners attend arts events at higher rates than non-readers and non-listeners.
• Literary readers and arts participants engage in sports more readily than non-readers and non-participants.
• By every other measure, arts participants are more physically active.
• People who read literature, listen to classical or jazz radio, or attend performances are creative in their own right.
• Readers and arts participants are twice as likely to volunteer in their communities.

However, the results are not encouraging with respect to young adult participation, which shows a 20-year decline:

• Performing arts attendance by young adults is waning.
• Young adult literary reading has dropped dramatically.
• There is even a decline in the rate of young adults listening to classical or jazz radio.
• Young adults are less involved in sports and less physically active.
• Volunteerism by young adults has declined slightly.

Very likely these results correlate strongly with higher education, which should make us feel good about results with past generations of college students, but not so good about the current generation.