The Burgeoning "Creative Class"

Richard Florida posited that a new “creative class” has become the driving force in the economy today. Unlike other economists’ stratified socioeconomic views, Florida proposes that there are only two groups, the “creative class,” and the rest of the workers, “the service class.” I must say that Florida’s thesis was well-reasoned and believable. Not only does this new mode of thought seem plausible, it appears to me to be a logical characterization of class in the developed world.

However, the creators of the website creativeclassstruggle.wordpress.com greatly disagree with Florida’s perspective of class. In their view, Florida has fallaciously represented the “creative class” as a burgeoning source of virtue in today’s world. Instead, the purveyors of this site argue that the “creative class” is a malingering, trend-seeking blight on the world’s development. Rather than create new jobs, the website argues that this new “creative class” is imposing a culture that is harmful to the less-skilled workers as well as the rest of society.

One article on creativeclassstruggle.com focuses on the situation in Hamburg, Germany. There, legislators and politicians are trying to market Hamburg itself as a brand. In addition, the politicians have enacted legislation that has caused the common person to question the motives of the “creative class.” This legislation seems to be favoring the wealthy and the trend-seekers (like the work project that used city money to create a 5-star hotel). Overall, the creators of the dissident website point to spectacles like Hamburg as evidence of the malignance of the growing “creative class.”

In my view, this new class that Florida describes is far from being the malevolent, egoistic societal blight portrayed by the website overseers. I believe that Florida’s characterization of this class is simply a renaming of a section of society already long established… the innovators. Stretching as far back as the Industrial Revolution, this partition of society has driven advancements and creativity for society as a whole. I think that this “creative class” is a fundamental aspect of economic growth and for that fact I have a hard time believing the contrary things printed on the dissident website.

Overall, though each side presented a cogent, persuasive argument, I feel that Richard Florida’s categorization of the “creative class” shows more understanding of the socioeconomic system. Like Florida, I both applaud the members of this class and recognize the vital role they play in economic development. Unlike the website, I acknowledge the beneficial aspects of a class of “knowledge workers” who drive innovation and creativity in the developed world.

The Media's Conflict with Class

These are presently the top ten most popular shows on television:

1. NCIS
2. Dancing with the Stars
3. The Game
4. Biggest Loser
5. American Idol
6. Grey’s Anatomy
7. Criminal Minds
8. Sons of Anarchy
9. House
10. V

(www.tvguide.com)
As I look at the various shows in the list, I see little to indicate the patterns of class misrepresentation cited by Class Dismissed and Mantsios’s essay. I am familiar with most of these television series, and I must say that socioeconomic class is not a significant focus in any of them. With shows like NCIS, Dancing with the Stars, and The Biggest Loser, I only see shows that allow people to escape from everyday life. Overall, I fail to see any confirmation that the aforementioned shows typify or cultivate the class perversions posited by Mantsios and Class Dismissed.

On the whole, this may indicate a radical shift in the ideas and goals of mass media. Instead of focusing on the opulence and excessive luxury of the upper class, I believe that television has begun to concentrate on providing escapist entertainment. No longer do the middle and working classes want to see the excesses of the upper crust, but rather the demand is for shows that take them away from the hardships of work and life in general.
The passages also indicate that working class people respond well to the reinforcement of the American Dream. More specifically, blue collar workers enjoy television shows that reinforce the idea of a meritocracy (American Idol, Biggest Loser). By subscribing to this mindset, many of the working class are led to believe in the opportunities for advancement for both them and their children. Rather than rebel against these ideas, I believe the lower classes relish the idea that the labor they put into society will someday reward them or their children. Shows such as these act as an affirmation of a meritocratic society that rewards expertise and determination.

Now, whether such a meritocratic society exists today is debatable. Such sources like Polyestra’s memoir will say otherwise. However, as I have said before, I believe the American Dream is alive and well. Moreover, I feel that shows like those in the top ten above do not indicate the media’s penchant for skewing class lines, but instead act in a manner that inspires those in the lower echelons of society to climb upwards with new effort and zeal.

Working Class and The American Dream

Throughout our nation’s short history, countless immigrants have traveled to our shores in search of “streets paved with gold” and a mysterious reverie known as “The American Dream.” Even to this day, people continue to cross our borders in hopes of finding financial prosperity, political stability, and the freedom to be happy.

However, standing in staunch contrast with these lofty ideals is Polyestra, who contends that America represents none of this. In the opening line of the passage, she sardonically notes that “fewer than one percent of Americans break out of the class they are born into.” As a girl who experienced a working-class upbringing, she was acutely aware of her own growing discontent with the idea of “class jumping.” Despite her parents’ furious pursuit of affluence, and their constant desire to ascend the societal ladder, Polyestra finds herself unable to see the upward mobility for which America is heralded. To her, our society is characterized by a static, unchanging caste system that encourages workers to strive for greatness, but rewards only very few for their efforts. Overall, she bitterly extrapolates the plight of her family to represent the sentiments of the lower class as a whole, and as such concludes that the average American worker is doomed to live a life that is just that… average.

In contrast, I believe she mistakenly and erroneously imposes her own negative views on society in a way that speaks strongly to people’s subjectivity. She bemoans the sole one percent of people who change classes. However, it is this special one percent for which people so diligently strive. In perhaps no other place in the world can that one percent be so assured and tantalizing. In addition, that single percent of success is the very reason why such a large number of people continue to leave their own countries to come to America, for it represents the idea that hard work and innovation will be rewarded.

It is my belief that for most people, the guarantee that even the smallest fraction (in this case 1%) of the population will find success indicates that America stands as a land of unparalleled opportunity. Unlike Polyestra, I feel that most people simply want the assurance that “The American Dream” is still alive. That sole percentage point is meaningful and exactly the sort of reassurance people need.

In general, I would agree with Polyestra’s thesis. “Class jumping” in any country or setting is hard and even nearly impossible. However, in America that one percent over which she agonizes only proves to me and most other Americans that classes can indeed be jumped. This crucial promise of opportunity, above all else, is the reason why the United States is such a unique and special nation, and the reason why so many people tout the seemingly magical “American Dream.”

Questioning America's Morality

As I understand it, the definition of morality is a metamorphic phenomenon based only on the consensus those who construct it. In this sense, morality is a self-defined criterion that is necessarily changing in the same way as the people who define it. Because of this ever-evolving idea, I cannot believe that America has become morally bankrupt. Instead, I believe that societal changes have simply brought on a generational confusion that has led to a questioning of America’s path. However, just as the ideas of justice and equality hinge on specific perspectives, so too does the notion of morality. Indeed, I believe the concept of morality is solely a subjective perception that cannot be evaluated on an objective scale.

In this selection, the claim has been made that America is headed towards a culture devoid of morality. I contend that we cannot know the truth of this claim because the test of a nation’s morality is subject to the previous experiences and values of those evaluating. A person from an older generation will regard the current culture of the United States in a very different way than a person from a newer generation. I can honestly say that I believe that America is still an honest, moral nation comprised generally of hard-working intelligent people. However, because each person carries with them generational biases and a lifetime of experience, my grandfather might judge that the nation is in fact losing touch with morality. Overall, because of this paradox I believe that the qualification of the level of America’s moral integrity is a futile task due to each person’s sentiments and values will affect the ideas that person has about morality.

Furthermore, I agree with Judis in the idea that the new capitalism is quite capable of bringing about positive change, and that those who see a “decline in morality” in America are simply misguided. Rather than seeking changes to society as many do, I think we as Americans need to work harder to understand our changing society. Foremost on many people’s minds are issues like abortion, gay marriage, and growing government. To cope with these new ideas, I believe that an effective and “moral” approach would be to abstain from blindly condemning these new developments, as some older generations do, and instead trying to further understand the underlying forces that brought these phenomena to the forefront of society. In short, the blog prompt asked me what changes I would make to society, but I think the real task is to identify the true driving forces in society today. Only when we understand these changes more thoroughly will people be in a position to define America’s morality as it exists today.

Finding A Calling

In just four passages, the book Gig offers compelling insight on how people view the work they do. Ranging from a mother to a teacher, and a package delivery man to a Wal-Mart greeter, this brief but diverse cross-section of the workforce strongly suggests that, regardless of the position a person holds, the attitude with which that person regards work has a significant part in determining the satisfaction they extract from their labor.

For example, the mother of two explains that while her job as a mother is “all-consuming” and by far the “hardest job [she] has ever had,” she emphatically implies that she “doesn’t regret doing this thing [marriage] at all.” It is obvious from her emotional vignette that she loves her children, and that the sacrifices she has made thus far (a career in marketing, time with her husband, etc.), are easily dwarfed by the satisfaction she receives by raising her children. Although motherhood is most often not regarded as a job or a career, I challenge anybody to think of a more trying way to spend one’s time. However, because of the love with which this mother carries out her work, I can without reservation declare that she is answering to her calling. Overall, despite daunting workloads and a ceaseless cycle of work, the mother in this selection has found a calling to which she is easily able to assign meaning and derive satisfaction.

In contrast, the UPS driver freely admits that he finds very little solace or importance in the work he does. The man knowingly shirks his duties and stands in contention with management at every junction in his job. Unlike the mother of two, this driver abhors the idea of work and brings with him a destructive attitude towards his occupation. Because of his lack of bell hooks’s “right livelihood” or the Dalai Lama’s “higher meanings,” one can only assign his position as a job rather than a career or calling. In no way does he view his job as a career, and his emotional detachment signifies a lack of the intrinsic sanctity of a calling. Unfortunately, this UPS driver holds his job in contempt due to a detrimental attitude and a work environment devoid of positive reinforcement.

The other two workers, the Wal-Mart greeter and the 2nd grade teacher, have each found at least a meaningful career, if not a calling. Together, the greeter and the teacher embody the Dalai Lama’s sentiments as each develops their own love for their job. The greeter enjoys his work because of the smiles he can evoke, and the teacher is content in her position because of the innocent affection of children. Furthermore, though they differ in motive, each feels the unique impact of what they do. Overall, this satisfactory fulfillment that brings a person to love and enjoy work is the very definition of a calling.

In terms of my own work, I definitely seek to find a niche in life in which I am as content as the mother of two, as satisfied as the greeter, and as fulfilled as the teacher. For whatever profession I may find in the future, I hope it is the job most suited to give me a “right livelihood.”

"Work and the Dalai Lama"

Far from offering a concerted, definitive voice, these selections present two very conflicting, polarized views on the idea of work. The Dalai Lama asserted that any sort of work can become rewarding if the labor is aligned with a higher purpose or calling. To this heralded spiritual leader, “there is always a way” to bring meaning to one’s work. Be it through “helping and supporting one’s family,” or in terms of one’s “role in society,” the Dalai Lama spoke to his belief that every job, career, or calling can have meaning. However, in stark contrast to these sentiments stands bell hooks, who instead argues that many people (and specifically black women) view their work only “as a way to make money.” Perhaps because of the discrimination and hardship she faced in her childhood, bell hooks presents a view of work completely devoid of the possibility of the spiritual attachment so fervently proposed by the Dalai Lama. From her perspective, and from her time spent observing others, she has found that work is all too often a thing feared and dreaded. Painfully, hooks concedes that while many people have found in their work meaning and importance, most of her black female acquaintances still cling to a bleak outlook of work.

Interestingly, my experiences at work have conflicted in ways much the same as these passages. In one instance, I found myself at a minimum wage job in the service industry, in a position much the same as those faced by the people of which bell hooks wrote. At this job, I had no passion for my work, and I felt strongly that the time I spent working lacked meaning and contribution on society as a whole. However, in another job where I spent my time and effort helping disadvantaged people, I began to recognize the impact I was having. It was at this position that I began to have feelings of spiritual importance that agreed more fully with the Dalai Lama’s opinion of work. Incidentally, the experience at these two positions has given me the wherewithal to see the validity and uniqueness in each of the claims made by these people. Neither the Dalai Lama nor bell hooks can unequivocally support their own views because each was derived from differing perspectives. Furthermore, I believe this to be true of most ideas of work. In no one position can a person fully understand the idea of work. For hooks, it was toil and pain, and yet for the Dalai Lama, work had the potential to be infinitely satisfying and meaningful. Overall, these selections have only served to reinforce the fact that differing perspectives can mightily influence how one perceives and understands work.

I suppose that as I become more acquainted with the phenomenon of work, I will be better able to accurately qualify what work means to me. As of now, I can only hope that the future brings with it work that I find meaningful, significant, and challenging.

Also, an interesting management theory that correlates to finding meaning in work is the American psychologist David McClelland's "Three Need" Theory.