Universiteten, kreativiteten och politikens aningslöshet

• This article is concerned with what knowledge that can be gained from research on creativity in psychology, social psychology and organizational theory on the one hand and how research policies are conducted on the other. The thesis brought forward is that research on creative personalities and how organizations promoting creativity function does not inform Swedish policy makers responsible for the higher education sector. There are few traces of the insights provided by such research in the presently conducted research policies. In the article, insights from creativity research are presented and discussed, focusing on the how organizations that generate creativity in research tend to be constructed. For example, in order to be able to mobilize the mental energy and concentration needed to produce creative, that is both new and relevant, ideas and solutions inner motivation as opposed to concerns about external assessments is highly crucial. All studies on creativity confirm that. To create the best possible preconditions for such inner motivation to guide researchers, the phase when ideas are worked out is the most sensitive one to safeguard from outside expectations. However, presently we have an organization for research funding based on competition between ideas, ideas that are then scrutinized and assessed at a quite early stage. Another precondition for creative thinking is a climate of risk-taking and non-conformity. The conformity produced by the present funding system where peers are acting as gatekeepers is becoming a problem to many researchers who manoever in a strategic rather than inner-directed manner in order to receive funding.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Statsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Political Science (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

creativity

creative organizations

inner motivation

flow

research funding

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)