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Culture and Creativity

By Claudio E. Benzecry and Vanina Leschziner
Series: Cultural Sociology
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Brief Description
Where does creativity come from? How do new ideas emerge, take shape, become materialised into products, and gain acceptance? Culture and Creativity offers a compelling account of creativity as a fundamentally social process. Moving beyond individualistic and psychological explanations, this book explores how creativity is shaped... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Where does creativity come from? How do new ideas emerge, take shape, become materialised into products, and gain acceptance? Culture and Creativity offers a compelling account of creativity as a fundamentally social process.

Moving beyond individualistic and psychological explanations, this book explores how creativity is shaped by cultural norms, knowledge exchange, material conditions, cognitive processes, social networks, and organisational structures. Drawing on a wide range of interdisciplinary research, it examines the collective dynamics behind innovation in areas as diverse as art, cuisine, music, science, and technology. Structured around four key themes – culture, materiality, cognition, and social organisation – each chapter introduces foundational theories, engages contemporary debates, and explores case studies of how creativity happens in practice.

Written in an accessible yet rigorous style, Culture and Creativity is an essential resource for students and scholars in the social sciences and humanities, as well as anyone interested in understanding creativity. It sets a new agenda for viewing creativity not as a mysterious force but as a patterned, explainable, and deeply embedded feature of social life.

Series: Cultural Sociology

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    Culture in Networks
    Today, interest in networks is growing by leaps and bounds, in both scientific discourse and popular culture. Networks are thought to be everywhere – from the architecture of our brains to global transportation systems. And networks are especially ubiquitous in the social world: they provide us with social support, account for the emergence of new trends and markets, and foster...
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  • Culture and Creativity
    Where does creativity come from? How do new ideas emerge, take shape, become materialised into products, and gain acceptance? Culture and Creativity offers a compelling account of creativity as a fundamentally social process. Moving beyond individualistic and psychological explanations, this book explores how creativity is shaped by cultural norms, knowledge exchange, material conditions, cognitive processes, social networks, and organisational structures....
    By Claudio E. Benzecry and Vanina Leschziner
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509546879

Publisher: Polity Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 October 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polity Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 147.0mm

Height: 209.0mm

Weight: 255g

Pages: 180

Collections

Claudio E. Benzecry Education & Reference Non-Fiction Series: Cultural Sociology Vanina Leschziner

About the Author

Claudio E. Benzecry is Professor of Communication Studies and Sociology at Northwestern University.

Vanina Leschziner is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto.

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