Cultural Creatives

Description

From the Wikipedia:

"Cultural Creatives is a term coined by sociologist Paul H. Ray and psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson to describe a large segment in Western society that has recently developed beyond the standard paradigm of Modernists versus Traditionalists or Conservatists. The concept was presented in their book The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World (2000), where they claim to have found that 50 million adult Americans (slightly over one quarter of the adult population) can now be identified as belonging to this group. They estimated that there were another 80–90 million Cultural Creatives in Europe in 2000." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Creatives)

Typology

"Dr. Ray and Dr. Anderson divide cultural creatives into two subdivisions:

Core cultural creative - Just under half of the CC population, this segment comprises the more educated, leading-edge thinkers. This group includes many writers, artists, musicians, psychotherapists, feminists, alternative health care providers and other professionals. They combine a serious concern for their inner life with a strong passion for social activism.

Green cultural creative - The more secular and extroverted wing of the cultural creatives. They tend to follow the opinions of the Core group and have a more conventional religious outlook. Their world views are less thought out than the Core group and less intensely held." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Creatives)

Characteristics

Dr. Ray and Dr. Anderson created a questionnaire to identify cultural creatives in Western society. The below characteristics were identified as qualities of a cultural creative. Agreement with 10 or more indicates status as a cultural creative.

   * love of nature and deep caring about its destruction
   * strong awareness of the planet-wide issues (i.e. global warming, poverty, overpopulation, etc.) and a desire to see more action on them
   * willingness to pay higher taxes or spend more money for goods if that money went to improving the environment
   * heavy emphasis on the importance of developing and maintaining relationships
   * heavy emphasis on the importance of helping others and developing their unique gifts
   * volunteer with one or more good causes
   * intense interest in spiritual and psychological development
   * see spirituality as an important aspect of life but worry about religious fundamentalism
   * desire more equity for women in business, life and politics
   * concern for the violence and abuse against women and children
   * want politics and government to spend more money on education, community programs and the support of a more ecologically sustainable future
   * are unhappy with the left and right in politics
   * optimism towards the future
   * want to be involved in creating a new and better way of life
   * are concerned with big business and the means they use to generate profits, including destroying the environment and exploiting poorer countries
   * unlikely to overspend or be in heavy debt
   * dislike the emphasis of modern cultures on making it and success, on consuming and making money
   * like people, places and things that are different or exotic

Values

Dr. Ray and Dr. Anderson assert that "values are the best single predictor of real behavior". The list below outlines the values that dictate a Cultural Creatives behavior:

   * Authenticity, actions must be consistent with words and beliefs
   * Engaged action and whole process learning; seeing the world as interwoven and connected
   * Idealism and activism
   * Globalism and ecology
   * The importance of women

Core cultural creatives also value altruism, self-actualization and spirituality." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Creatives)