Analyzing the Cultural and Creative Industries Ecosystem Under the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems: Beyond the Sector

Despite the growing popularity of the ecosystem vision of complex adaptive systems in the social sciences, the cultural and creative sectors are still theoretically and empirically studied with a prevalent industrial focus. However, several scholars have depicted culture and creativity as connected living organisms, with different components, norms, and behaviors, interacting in local and global networks. This chapter explores how the concept of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) evolved over time and whether an ecosystem approach may be considered a new representation of the relationships and dynamics of CCIs as an alternative to those based on industrial specializations. Starting from the model of culture-economy-society-technology and moving through the contribution of the complex adaptive systems framework, the chapter maps the evolution of actors, relationships, and structures of the CCIs ecosystem.