Creativity support policies as a means of development policy for the global South? A critical appraisal of the UNESCO Creative Economy Report 2013

• Published in: Regional studies Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 336 - 345
• Main Author: Sternberg, Rolf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Routledge 01.02.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Appraisal; Chambers of commerce; clase creativa; classe créative; Content analysis; creative class; creative economy; Creative industries; Creativity; Developing countries; Development policy; Economic development; Economic policy; Economics; economía creativa; Entwicklungsländer; Entwicklungspolitik; Graves; kreative Klasse; Kreativwirtschaft; LDCs; Market segments; pays en voie de développement; países en desarrollo; Policy making; politique de développement; política de desarrollo; Popularity; Regional development; Regional studies; économie créative; 创意经济；创意阶级；发展政策；发展中国家
• ISSN: 0034-3404; 1360-0591
• DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2016.1174844

Creativity support policies as a means of development policy for the global South? A critical appraisal of the UNESCO Creative Economy Report 2013. Regional Studies. Cultural segments of the economy have long been the popular targets of policy-makers intending to promote the economy. The United Nations Creative Economy Report intends to harness the creative economy for goals of economic development policy to the benefit of developing countries. This paper demonstrates that the idea of the creative economy, understood as a development policy tool, has several serious theoretical-conceptual weaknesses. Popularity does not mean the policy tools are or will be successful. For that reason, and with all due respect to the strengths of this concept, they should be subject to critical analysis in each individual case.