Cultural Creatives is a term coined by sociologist Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson to describe a large segment in Western society that has recently developed beyond the standard paradigm of modernists or progressives versus traditionalists or conservatives. The concept was presented in their book The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World (2000).
Though we shun labels, Halcyon ticks many of the boxes identified as qualities of a Cultural Creative:
- love of nature and deep caring about its preservation, and its natural balance
- strong awareness of the planet-wide issues (i.e. climate change, poverty, overpopulation, etc.) and a desire to see more action on them
- being active themselves as well (e.g. cradle2cradle principle)
- willingness to pay higher taxes or spend more money for goods if that money went to improving the environment
- heavy emphasis on the importance of developing and maintaining relationships
- heavy emphasis on the importance of helping others and developing their unique gifts
- volunteer with one or more good causes
- intense interest in spiritual and psychological development
- see spirituality as an important aspect of life, but worry about religious fundamentalism
- desire equity for women/men in business, life and politics
- concern and support of the wellbeing (oa. freedom) of all women and children
- want politics and government to spend more money on education, community programmes and the support of a more ecologically sustainable future
- are unhappy with the left and right in politics
- optimism towards the future
- want to be involved in creating a new and better way of life
- are concerned with big business and the means they use to generate profits, including destroying the environment and exploiting poorer countries
- unlikely to overspend or be in heavy debt
- dislike the emphasis of modern cultures on "making it" and "success", on consuming and making money
- like people, places and things that are different or exotic.
However, there are one or two of these characteristics (e.g. spending more public money) that move beyond the personal into the societal realm, and there we might be more sceptical, except where we can see transparent, sustainable measures of the effectiveness of such investment.
Furthermore, even one or two of the personal characteristics remained more aspirational than actual as of early 2011.