Cultural Barriers

2). Name five cultural barriers to creativity. What do you think these would keep a group from being creative? Have you experienced any of these personally? Explain.

In the text, the author states various amounts of cultural barriers to creativity that include: requirement for conformity, expectations of practicality and efficiency, particular areas for competition or cooperation, expectations of politeness and of following rules of social order, belief in an either/or perspective on issues, reliance on statistical proofs, dependence on generalizations, trust in the power of reason and logic, and reliance on expert knowledge. Out of all of these cultural barrier to creativity, I chose the five that I thought was most interesting and important. 

1. Requirement for conformity: I thought this barrier was very important because conformity plays a huge role on any group no matter how big or small. Conformity is a huge cultural barrier when it comes to creativity within a group because some people have trouble accepting people of different cultures other than their own. Because conformity is the act of matching certain beliefs, group norms and similar attitudes, I could see why the requirement of conformity can affect any creativity process. When an individual of a different background joins a group, there acceptance may or may not be encouraged. I believe this happens because people are likely to segregate themselves to people of their "norm". It's hard to build that trust when conformity exists within the creative group. 

2. Expectations of practicality and efficiency: This cultural barrier is difficult to overcome because everyone's expectations differ depending on what the issue may be. Some people care less than others, and some people are more passionate about the topic rather than others. This effects the groups' efficiency when one member is constantly involved and putting their ideas out on the table while others who don't really care sit back and relax. If the expectations of practicality aren't met, people who are more involved than others will have a huge problem with the groups' efforts. Thus, the expectations of both practicality and efficiency will be tarnished; negatively impacting the group's process and success. 

3. Particular areas for competition or cooperation: I see this barrier as going both either good or bad; depending on what the groups' goals and expectations are. Competition is always good when both you and your group members want to strive for the best. However, competition can also be negative if some of your groups members see competition as a negative thing. Aside from competition, everyone should be cooperating their efforts for the groups' sake. I believe that cooperation should always be present, while competition shouldn't necessarily be practiced unless agreed with the rest of the members. This is why I believe this barrier can be either a major step back or step forward depending on how every member of the group feels about the issue. 

4. Expectation of politeness and of following rules of social order: I thought this barrier was very interesting because all cultures have different expectations to what is polite or not. I believe this cultural barrier exists everywhere which is why it is seen as a common barrier within groups. Someone of an Asian background may not follow the certain social rules of someone of a African American background. If the understanding and acceptance of multicultural parties aren't accepted, there will be much arguments and head clashing during the group process. 

5. Reliance on expert knowledge: I think this cultural barrier usually happens when someone in the group isn't being trusted on the knowledge of the topic. Some people may assume they may know more than someone else, which is the reasoning behind the barrier. Everyone may have the same knowledge of an issue, but the way it is presented is important. Also, relying on one member of the group because you aren't unsure may cause some difficulties in the group process as well. The point of an effective creativity group is that everyone share their ideas no matter how wrong or right they may be.