13.2

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.

Five cultural barriers according to Harris (2008, p. 188) are 1) a requirement for conformity, 2) an expectation for practicality and efficiency, 3) particular arenas for competition or cooperation, 4) an expectation for politeness and following rules for social order, and 5) a trust in the power of reason and logic. These barriers may prevent groups from being creative because these barriers limit or eliminate communication between group members and therefore no creative ideas can form and be known. I have personally experienced a couple of these including “a requirement for conformity” and “an expectation for politeness and following rules for social order.” First, several times while participating in a group setting I would easily and quickly agree with the consensus, for example, if we were voting on something in particular. I don't usually like to be the odd man out and be the only one to vote a certain way, so I usually see what others say and then just go with them. Since there's a expectation in a social norm to be polite with/to others and especially to one's elders, I usually bite my tongue when in a new group. Around my friends especially and some of my family I have no problem saying what I think and volunteering my own ideas because we all have a mutual understanding of what is acceptable to our own group. Around new groups however I tend to succumb to the social norm of the expectation of engaging in politeness.