Social Values and the Creative Ethos in the Greek Knowledge Society: A Phenomenological Analysis

Abstract

Departing from Richard Florida's theory of the Creative Class, this article attempts to delineate the Greek creative ethos. The research involved in-depth interviews with knowledge and service workers in Greece. Adopting an existential view of creativity, which emphasizes the natural human inclination to create and engage with one's acts, and using valuing processes as tools to analyze workers’ discourses opens up the elements that underpin workers’ efforts to experience authenticity across life spheres and construct the meaning of work and good living. These efforts were sketched against a backdrop of adverse lived realities and intersected with anxious, alienated, and disempowered constructions of selfhood. Contrary to Florida's claims, the present article goes beyond positions of more or less creative workers and examines the various meanings of creativity underpinned by different lived realities.

KEYWORDS:

• Authenticity
• creativity
• knowledge and service workers
• meaning of work
• quality of life
• social values
• valuing processes

Notes

1. Knowledge workers occupy 13% of its total employment (Tsirogianni 2010).

2. The ten values Schwartz proposes are the following:  1. Power: wealth, status, control or dominance on other people and social respect.  2. Achievement: personal success, social recognition (ambitious, influential, capable people).  3. Security: safety, harmony, stability of society, and protection from external dangers.  4. Conformity: proper behavior, compliance with rules and norms, politeness, self-discipline, obedience, respect for elderly or parents.  5. Hedonism: pleasure, opulence, and indulgence.  6. Stimulation: novelty, excitement in life, daring new things.  7. Self-direction: creativity, use of initiative, innovation, curiosity, exploration.  8. Universalism: pro-environmental spirit, belief in justice, diversity, tolerance, protection of allpeople and nature.  9. Benevolence: loyalty and devotion to friends, compassion for other people, generosity, kind-heartedness. 10. Tradition: modesty, importance of traditions and customs, respect to traditional ideas, culture, and religion.

3. This was a suggestion forwarded mainly by those working in the public sector.