Foundations of Comparative Study of Cultural Policy Based on the Concept of System of References

In this article, after presenting some definitions of culture and assessing its role in the society, we will discuss the importance of comparative studies. If we accept the saying that "experience is the father of science", then we can refer to comparative studies as one of the main ways to use experience in the humanities. In comparative studies, we can deliberate various topics by using different approaches and one of these approaches to the study of cultural policy is the concept of system of references. They help us to understand the direction of the country's cultural policies and to estimate the effectiveness of their policies to a reasonably degree. Countries adopt different approaches to cultural policies and we consider them on a range of minimum to maximum intervention. Nowadays, preserving the cultural diversity as a major international reference in the field of cultural policy has been accepted and its very importance in achieving sustainable development is emphasized all over the world.