Creative Industries in Iran.

ABSTRACT This dissertation tells the story and history of “Creative Industries”, in general; and “Creative Industries” in Iran, in particular, with the perspective of economics and management. The focus is on cultural part of creative industries. This study expands the conceptual background of creative industries, the official formation of these industries, the policy discourses and the description of these industries in practice at the global level, their academic position and their economic impact. In this dissertation the delicate differences between creative industries and cultural industries have been discussed. Also, the evolutional route how creative industries were shaped is argued: from the studies around culture, and cultural policies, then industrialization of culture and culture industry as a negative issue interpreted by some scholars such as Frankfort School thinkers, and later the notion of cultural industries as a positive paradigm followed by culturalization of economy and cultural economics and eventually the formation of cultural and creative industries. The discussions on creative industries in Iran, which were gap in the literature of this domain, have been filled in this dissertation. Here, the story of creative industries in Iran has been told for the first time, comprehensively, from the official birth of these industries in Iran, which has been in 2018 to the emergence of COVID19, it means 2020. Iranian Crafts Industry has been selected as one of the sectors of creative industries in Iran and the performance of 7 creative crafts businesses has been analyzed. The analyses illustrate that although Iran possesses a huge potential in development of cultural and creative industries, in general; and in Crafts industry, in particular, and there has been more attention recently on these sectors with respects to the past, we are not standing at the proper position yet, and we need to set more serious plans for development of these industries. Key Terms: - Creative Industries - Cultural and Creative Industries - Economics and Management - Cultural Economy - Creative Industries in Iran - Iranian Crafts Industry