Abstract

This contribution is aiming at integrating the quantitative analysis of cultural occupation with a study describing the elements that characterise qualitatively the cultural professions.It focuses on subjective data to grasp the cultural workers'perception of their own job and professional conditions. These data are available in Italy thanks to the «Professions Information System», a huge shared information space, fed by a plurality of public bodies, such as ISTAT, the National Statistical Institute and ISFOL, the Istitute for workers'education and development. Data concern professional profiles (knowledge and skills), attitudes, values, job styles and activities.General public appreciation and self satisfaction appear to be the main characteristics of cultural occupations on the positive side, poor carrier prospects and uncertainty in job conditions on the negative side.