Creativity and Cultural Diversity - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0954811607 ISBN 13: 9780954811600

Publisher: The Creativity Centre Educational Trust, 2004

Synopsis

Creativity thrives on diversity and a plurality of views. Yet, ironically, the most readily available literature on creativity reflects a creativity monoculture, as if there were only one standpoint from which to explore and develop creativity. This is illogical.

The explosion in global communications might suggest an increase in the exchange of views and information about creativity. So far, this doesn't seem to have happened.

The aim of this internationally authored book is to begin to correct this imbalance. Some if its authors focus solely on creativity in their own country; some demonstrate the influence of different cultural perspectives on how they approach creativity. Others explicitly highlight the differences between Eastern and Western or African and European viewpoints on creativity.

About this title

About the Author

About the editor:
Dr Marilyn Fryer is Founder/Director of The Creativity Centre Ltd and co-founder of The Creativity Centre Educational Trust. She is a chartered psychologist, experienced academic and qualified teacher specialising in creativity research and consultancy. Formerly Reader in Psychology at Leeds Metropolitan University, she has nearly 20 years experience of creativity research and of developing and delivering accredited creativity courses at HE and professional levels.
Marilyn has published and presented internationally, mainly in the United States, Asia and Europe. She has received various awards in the UK and overseas for creativity research and development and has acted as consultant on creativity and innovation to major public and private sector organisations, including government bodies.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Creativity & Cultural Diversity - Marilyn Fryer

Introduction

It is relatively easy to travel the world and to see, en route, very different examples of creativity, but it is far less easy to uncover how creativity is perceived, valued or practised in different countries and cultures. Yet it is vital that we try, otherwise we are restricted to the most readily available information about creativity which usually reflects the views and practices of the most dominant cultural groups. Whilst such information is undoubtedly valuable, ignoring less accessible information can mean that equally valuable knowledge and skills become lost. Then there is a real danger that only one or a few approaches to creativity will dominate education and training provision. Yet creativity thrives on a multi-perspective approach.
At present, not all creative education and training reflects its client groups. In the UK, for example, the school curriculum does not fully reflect the creative achievements of all the cultural groups it serves. So many young people lack role models and learning materials with which they can readily identify. Disaffection can result. How creativity is currently defined and developed in UK education and training tends to reflect a mainly white, Western approach, rather than our diverse society. This not only puts people from minority ethnic groups at a disadvantage, it is everyone's loss.

This book does not attempt to deny the relevance of dominant views on creativity. To do so would be misguided. Instead a key aim is to hep redress any imbalance. But it is just a beginning.

In fact, this book is just one outcome of The Creativity Centre's creativity and cultural diversity strategy. The book was conceived in conjunction with our 2002 international conference on Creativity and Cultural Diversity described on page 183. Another outcome is our Science Alliance schools project (see Appendix).

As will be seen from the following chapters, the authors have drawn on very different cultural sources to support their arguments. Some established but difficult-to-access work will be new to many readers, whilst here and there seasoned creativity researchers may well find and idea or argument that reminds them of earlier work.

In one sense, this book represents a snapshot in time. The picture is not simple, since we have all been influenced by many cultures over the centuries. Trying to identify the contributions of different cultures to creativity is not at all straighforward. In fact, it's rather like 'trying to catch a particularly elusive fish, by hopefully casting different kinds of bait at different depths, without knowing what goes on beneath the surface!' (Oppenheim, 1966, p. 49). As you read the following chapters, you won't always find clear cultural differences in views about creativity. Look instead for the 'elusive fish'. Fortunately this is not a random catch of authors, so hopefully you will find rather more fish than you might ordinarily expect!

Edition details

• Publisher: The Creativity Centre Educational Trust
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0954811607
• ISBN 13: 9780954811600
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 200
• Editor: Fryer Marilyn