An Economic Classification for
the Culture Sector:
the Québec Experience
Christine Routhier
Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec
Institut de la statistique du Québec
Presentation Outline

Boundaries of the culture and communications sector
according to the Observatoire

Limitations of NAICS
(North American Industry Classification System)

Brief description of QCCACS
(Québec Culture and Communications Activity Classification System)

Examples of the conceptual problems encountered while
creating QCCACS
Boundaries of the sector

Definition of the sector:
Culture and communications is an activity sector that is characterized
by the production and dissemination of symbolic or information-based
content.

The sector is divided into more than a dozen fields:
• visual arts & fine crafts
• performing arts
• books
• museums & heritage
• libraries
• sound recording
• cinematography & audiovisual • periodicals
• radio & television
• multimedia
• advertising
• architecture & design
• public administration & associations

Excluded fields:
• environment and nature
• sports
• telecommunication services
NAICS

NAICS is divided into 20 sectors

2 of these sectors are devoted to culture:
51 – Information and Cultural Industries
71 – Arts, Entertainment and Recreation

NAICS also contains culture-oriented industries
outside these 2 sectors
Problems with NAICS

Certain types of cultural establishments are engulfed in
non-cultural industries
Example: fine crafts in
“32711 Pottery, Ceramics and Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing”

For certain types of cultural establishments, no distinction
is made between the different fields of culture
Example: "71151 Independent Artists, Writers and Performers"
QCCACS Objectives

Design a classification that is sufficiently detailed to:
a) feature a large variety of activities within the sector;
b) cover each of the cultural fields while respecting their
respective boundaries.

Reflect the Québec context and meet the needs of the
stakeholders involved in culture.

Tie in our classification with NAICS.
Description of QCCACS
The "sector" is divided into 15 "fields":
11 Visual Arts, Fine Crafts, and Media Arts
12 Performing Arts
13 Heritage, Museum Institutions, and Archives
14 Libraries
15 Books
16 Periodicals
17 Sound Recording (records)
18 Cinematography and Audiovisual
19 Radio and Television
20 Multimedia
21 Architecture and Design
22 Advertising and Public Relations
23 Organizations Dedicated to Representation and Advancement
24 Public Administration
90 Establishments involved in more than one field of culture and communications
Description of QCCACS
Example of a "group"
18206 Dubbing Studios
This group comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing dubbing
services for films or television programs. Dubbing consists in substituting
dialog from one language for dialog from another language.
Exclusions:


Sound Recording Studios (17203);
Postproduction Studios and Other Services Related to the Production
of Films and Television Programs (18205).
Description of QCCACS
Example: "11303.01 Contemporary Art Dealers"
11303.01
11303.01
11303.01
11303.01
Field: Visual Arts, Fine Crafts, and Media Arts
Function: Dissemination/Distribution
Group: Art Dealers
Subgroup: Contemporary Art Dealers
A few examples of conceptual problems

The entities to be classified were
occasionally only fragments of
establishments.
Example: cultural programs of universities
14401Educational and Training Institutions Related to the Field of
Libraries
This group comprises public and private educational institutions
primarily engaged in providing terminal instruction and training in the
field of libraries. This group includes C.E.G.E.P., university, and other
general education programs aiming to train graduates who will work
specifically in the field of libraries.
A few examples of conceptual problems

Certain types of establishments did not
belong to a particular cultural field.
Example: actors
A few examples of conceptual problems

Certain types of establishments cut across
two cultural fields without being
"multi-field".
Example: virtual periodicals
A few examples of conceptual problems

The secondary activity issue
Example: archival services
Suggestion for the OECD project
Restrict the project to the "solid core" of culture.
Exclude the activities regarded as the outlying areas of the
culture sector, namely advertising, architecture, printing,
design and multimedia.