The Invention of Creativity (Paperback)

Andreas Reckwitz

ISBN 10: 0745697046 / ISBN 13: 9780745697048

Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Oxford, 2017

About this Item

Paperback. Contemporary society has seen an unprecedented rise in both the demand and the desire to be creative, to bring something new into the world. Once the reserve of artistic subcultures, creativity has now become a universal model for culture and an imperative in many parts of society.In this new book, cultural sociologist Andreas Reckwitz investigates how the ideal of creativity has grown into a major social force, from the art of the avant-garde and postmodernism to the creative industries and the innovation economy, the psychology of creativity and self-growth, the media representation of creative stars, and the urban design of creative cities. Where creativity is often assumed to be a force for good, Reckwitz looks critically at how this imperative has developed from the 1970s to the present day. Though we may well perceive creativity as the realization of some natural and innate potential within us, it has rather to be understood within the structures of a very specific culture of the new in late modern society. The Invention of Creativity is a bold and refreshing counter to conventional wisdom that shows how our age is defined by radical and restrictive processes of social aestheticization. It will be of great interest to those working in a variety of disciplines, from cultural and social theory to art history and aesthetics. Contemporary society has seen an unprecedented rise in both the demand and the desire to be creative, to bring something new into the world. Once the reserve of artistic subcultures, creativity has now become a universal model for culture and an imperative in many parts of society. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780745697048

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Invention of Creativity (Paperback)
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Oxford
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0745697046
• ISBN 13: 9780745697048
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Contemporary society has seen an unprecedented rise in both the demand and the desire to be creative, to bring something new into the world. Once the reserve of artistic subcultures, creativity has now become a universal model for culture and an imperative in many parts of society.

In this new book, cultural sociologist Andreas Reckwitz investigates how the ideal of creativity has grown into a major social force, from the art of the avant-garde and postmodernism to the ‘creative industries’ and the innovation economy, the psychology of creativity and self-growth, the media representation of creative stars, and the urban design of ‘creative cities’. Where creativity is often assumed to be a force for good, Reckwitz looks critically at how this imperative has developed from the 1970s to the present day. Though we may well perceive creativity as the realization of some natural and innate potential within us, it has rather to be understood within the structures of a very specific culture of the new in late modern society.

The Invention of Creativity is a bold and refreshing counter to conventional wisdom that shows how our age is defined by radical and restrictive processes of social aestheticization. It will be of great interest to those working in a variety of disciplines, from cultural and social theory to art history and aesthetics.

About the Author

Andreas Reckwitz is Professor of Cultural Sociology at the European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder).