Creativity as neoliberal self-governance
The purpose of this article is to analyze the problem of non-professional creativity in contemporary self-help literature. Creativity, an element of work organization in the post-Fordist era, has been the subject of many critical analyses. I focus on creativity as it appears in everyday life, with t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Creativity Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.aviation.vgtu.lt/index.php/CS/article/view/12311 |
| _version_ | 1818893364519501824 |
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| author | Jakub Barszczewski |
| author_facet | Jakub Barszczewski |
| author_sort | Jakub Barszczewski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this article is to analyze the problem of non-professional creativity in contemporary self-help literature. Creativity, an element of work organization in the post-Fordist era, has been the subject of many critical analyses. I focus on creativity as it appears in everyday life, with the support of an examination of self-help handbooks that refer to far-east traditions, at the same time being critical of the Western lifestyle. Self-help literature is viewed here as a tool aiding the neoliberal governmentality of society. I am most of all interested in how contemporary discourse on non-professional creativity promotes technologies of autonomy aimed at the production of responsible and self-sufficient individuals. I argue that creativity is today a key mechanism of governance. It is not limited to the professional sphere but is playing an increasing role in our private lives. It is used to produce more elusive and flexible forms of self-governance than more openly repressive forms of power (based on top-down order and control). |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T18:11:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-26dc0c48994f4d42b240c087623b4c1b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2345-0479 2345-0487 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T18:11:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius Gediminas Technical University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Creativity Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-26dc0c48994f4d42b240c087623b4c1b2022-12-21T20:11:19ZengVilnius Gediminas Technical UniversityCreativity Studies2345-04792345-04872021-12-0114210.3846/cs.2021.12311Creativity as neoliberal self-governanceJakub Barszczewski0Institute of Sociology, University of Białystok, Plac NZS 1, 15-420 Białystok, PolandThe purpose of this article is to analyze the problem of non-professional creativity in contemporary self-help literature. Creativity, an element of work organization in the post-Fordist era, has been the subject of many critical analyses. I focus on creativity as it appears in everyday life, with the support of an examination of self-help handbooks that refer to far-east traditions, at the same time being critical of the Western lifestyle. Self-help literature is viewed here as a tool aiding the neoliberal governmentality of society. I am most of all interested in how contemporary discourse on non-professional creativity promotes technologies of autonomy aimed at the production of responsible and self-sufficient individuals. I argue that creativity is today a key mechanism of governance. It is not limited to the professional sphere but is playing an increasing role in our private lives. It is used to produce more elusive and flexible forms of self-governance than more openly repressive forms of power (based on top-down order and control).https://www.aviation.vgtu.lt/index.php/CS/article/view/12311creativitygovernmentalityneoliberalismpost-Fordismself-help literature |
| spellingShingle | Jakub Barszczewski Creativity as neoliberal self-governance Creativity Studies creativity governmentality neoliberalism post-Fordism self-help literature |
| title | Creativity as neoliberal self-governance |
| title_full | Creativity as neoliberal self-governance |
| title_fullStr | Creativity as neoliberal self-governance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Creativity as neoliberal self-governance |
| title_short | Creativity as neoliberal self-governance |
| title_sort | creativity as neoliberal self governance |
| topic | creativity governmentality neoliberalism post-Fordism self-help literature |
| url | https://www.aviation.vgtu.lt/index.php/CS/article/view/12311 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jakubbarszczewski creativityasneoliberalselfgovernance |