This thesis examines Néstor García Canclini´s relationships with various non-academic\ud
institutions in Latin America (focusing on Mexico) during the 1990s and the 2000s. It\ud
emphasises the shortage of communication between scholars and non-academic policymaking\ud
institutions through its study of García Canclini´s cultural policy activism. By\ud
investigating García Canclini’s activities with various Latin American non-academic\ud
institutions (and particularly those from Mexico), this thesis argues that he not only\ud
conceptualises and proposes cultural policy; he also conducts cultural policy. Through\ud
his discussion of cultural issues with bureaucrats, legislators, policy-makers, politicians,\ud
private managers and newspaper editors, this thesis evaluates his most important\ud
engagements to present how cultural policy can move from being an institutionallyoriented\ud
instrument to an intellectually-oriented operation.\ud
This thesis raises key theoretical debates such as the role of intellectuals in Latin\ud
America, cultural policy institutional development, cultural spaces, national\ud
development, urban studies, the cultural industries, globalisation and identities, and the\ud
multiplicity of cultural policy-makers. In addition, analyses of García Canclini´s\ud
academic and conceptual developments as well as a study of the extensive networks he\ud
formed beyond academia show how he utilised his extra-academic activities in Latin\ud
America to encourage cultural issues through his cultural policy activism. This thesis\ud
concludes that García Canclini broke university boundaries through his cultural policy\ud
operation without ever speaking from a position other than that of an academic