Creativity and knowledge economies

Abstract

[Extract] There are two ideas of culture. One is romantic (Murphy & Roberts, 2004). Culture in the romantic sense is a function of nations. Nations are defined by territory, language and social norms. Nations possess incommensurable characteristics-different ways of doing things and creating things, and different mindsets, that provide advantages in global economic and social competition. In particular the 'genius' of a nation produces innovation. A second, and older, idea equates culture with the civilization of cities. This idea precedes the modern romantic idea of nationhood. Culture as a function of the civilization of cities is less the expression of incommensurable qualities and habits and more the consequence of the universals of shape, pattern and form.