Title: Governmentality and the creative class: harnessing Bohemia, diversity and freedom for competitiveness

Authors: Martin Fougere, Nikodemus Solitander

Addresses: Department of Management and Organisation, Hanken School of Economics, P.O. Box 479, 00101, Arkadiankatu 22, Helsinki, Finland. ' Department of Management and Organisation, Hanken School of Economics, P.O. Box 479, 00101, Arkadiankatu 22, Helsinki, Finland

Abstract: Richard Florida|s works are the holy writings of the |creative economy|. Some commentators have stressed the elitist, insidious neo-liberal implications of this new |class| discourse. Drawing on Foucault|s concept of governmentality and the framework introduced by Dean, we study: 1) what is being governed: the creative class… and everyone else; 2) how government is achieved: through the introduction of the three Ts (technology, talent and tolerance) and the correlations established between them and economic success; 3) who we become when governed: workaholic, consumerist and apolitical |Bohemians| who value individuality, meritocracy, diversity and openness – and flexible immaterial labour, working in increasingly precarious conditions; 4) why we are governed this way: because being part of the creative class is both socially worthy and personally desirable. These norms are instrumental in the reproduction of a deeply unequal economic and social system, designed to exploit both the conspicuous winners and the excluded losers.

Keywords: Richard Florida; creative class; governmentality; competitiveness; creative economy; government.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCP.2010.031301

International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 2010 Vol.4 No.1, pp.41 - 59

Published online: 29 Jan 2010 *

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