Regional Creativity: Cultural and Socio-Economic Differences

This article first appeared in the Journal of Creativity/Science Direct.

By: John F. Cabra and Cesar D. Guerrero

Creativity is context specific (Lubart, 2010). Different regions around the globe have different views of creativity, its conception and purpose. Regional creativity can be seen as the cultural and socio-economic implications that have to be considered when approaching creative problem-solving in a particular context.

For instance, while innovation generated in the Silicon Valley might largely be driven by millions of dollars of private investments, in countries with developing economies, creative solutions may be driven instead by the need to fulfill basic needs of the society where resources are scarce. This may be conceptually true; however, at its surface level, it generates a different perception. In the case of countries with developing economies, scarce resources, which prompt tighter restrictions, lead to doing more with less (Radjou & Prabhu, 2015).

What is the lesson here? A context-deprived approach that examines creativity across regions might have overlooked an association between improvisational creativity and conditions that limit the availability of goods, services, and resources essential for physical survival. Context matters. This article discusses how views of creativity vary across cultures and suggests careful thoughts for viewing creativity in context.

Read the PDF of the full article.

The Institute for Myanmar United was created in 2020 to release the power of human creativity to help individuals, communities, and nations reclaim their freedom, unity, and hope.

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