The Theory of the Cultural Industries: A “Milieu” for Building Dynamic Knowledge

<jats:p> Over the past 40 years, important work has been done on cultural industries through the close collaboration of researchers in Québec and France, to the point that it has become a question of the theory of cultural industries. In this article, I first examine the institutional contexts that have supported the development of research on this theme within French and Québécoise research groups. I then focus on discussions around the very nature of “the cultural industry” as a research object, as well as its unique characteristics. Thirdly, I address another issue of debate among the protagonists of this text, the concept of a “social logic” (or “model”). Finally, I conclude with a few open-ended questions with the goal of deepening research in this domain. </jats:p>