The authors make an important point that I think mainstream politics often misses: The people they label "cultural creatives" belong to a wide variety of political parties, organizations, and religions, and are passionate about issues rather than politics; so a political strategy that attempts to draw this diverse but active group into supporting a single party or platform (e.g., "If you believe in X, then you should vote for these Democratic candidates") won't succeed.
The book is several years old, and the political/social landscape in the U.S. has changed since 2000. But (based on my own experience) I feel that the authors' conclusions about who the Cultural Creatives are and how they got that way are valid. On the other hand, I think they missed a few things:
(1) They discuss the role of institutes such as Esalen in the human consciousness movement, but don't mention other media: magazines such as Utne Reader, radio programs like New Dimensions, many PBS radio and TV stations, alternative newspapers, etc. In areas of the country where someone who holds non-mainstream opinions can often feel isolated, these media played (and continue to play) a major role.
(2) The Internet has been a major factor in global connectivity for at least 20 years, but the authors give it only about a page of rather vague discussion. While using the Internet for direct political action is a relatively new phenomenon (MoveOn.org, one of the most visible groups, was founded in 1998 in response to the Clinton impeachment), issues-oriented web sites and mailing lists, ranging across the political spectrum, have been around for much longer. I also think the authors underestimated the general effects of the Internet on human relationships: as an acquaintance of mine in Europe once put it, if you have 'Net buddies in another country, you're far less likely to drop a bomb on it.
I think the book is persuasively argued and the authors draw reasonable conclusions from the (very extensive) statistical data. I found some of the lengthy discussions about Traditionals and Moderns rather tedious, but in general this is an exciting and important book that deserves to be widely read.
The authors regard half of adults in America (100 million) as Moderns. They generally accept the constantly changing, materialistic culture operated and promoted by big business. Much of modern culture seems to be value-free as it revolves around science, technology, growth, speed, and efficiency. The marketplace has largely taken over the lives of moderns: it unabashedly breaks community ties and, in essence, defines people through their consumption and employment. Moderns range from advantaged business executives to the lower middle class adversely affected by globalizing business strategies.
Traditionals, on the other hand, have been largely bypassed by modernism. The 48 million traditionals tend to be older and rural-based with low incomes and limited education and are a group in decline. Their culture is based on time-worn, shared community values and is often orally transmitted to future generations. Traditionals are appealed to by affluent elements of both business and social conservatives, although many traditionals are not pro-business or anti-environment.
The principal contention of the authors is that since the 1960s, 50 million Americans have shifted their "worldview, values, and way of life" sufficiently to form a distinct subculture: the Cultural Creatives. They are defined by both disenchantment with the materialism and fragmentation of modernism and an interest in personal growth, authenticity, and experience. A "core" element of 24 million adults dominated by women and consisting of a variety of artists, professionals, alternative health-care providers, and feminists are oriented toward personal growth and spirituality. Creatives, more broadly, have only an average interest in spirituality and person-centered values and are more focused on the environment and broader social issues.
The authors suggest that the Creatives arose from the civil rights and anti-war movement of the 60s and such movements as feminism and environmentalism. Those movements succeeded partly because Americans were forced to confront the fact that American "principles of general equality, personal freedom, justice, civil rights, and representative democracy" were being unfairly applied. The authors contend that those movements are having an impact far beyond visible leaders and supporters by feeding the longings and hopes of the greater population. More recent Creatives reject large institutions, both social and political, and have turned to New Ageism, holistic approaches, and developing and understanding one's self.
A primary agenda of the authors, beyond identification of social groups, is to press for the need of redirecting the economy and the broader culture in directions that will sustain the environment. The recommendations of several environmental experts include such measures as increasing efficiency, decreasing waste, recycling both natural and man-made materials, and stopping the destruction of Nature. One of the more interesting ideas is the recycling of durable products, where durable products are leased, instead of being owned, with businesses being required to take back and recycle their products. Of course, current reality is for businesses to pass the consequences of environmental destruction onto the public. Interestingly, businesses have arisen to supply the alternative needs of Cultural Creatives in such areas as organic foods, various self-help or experiential endeavors, etc. Of course, some resent the intrusion of business principles in a movement that rejects greed and profit. Resentment or not, these businesses have had an imperceptible impact on the general direction of the business community.
The authors are optimistic that the advent of Cultural Creatives bodes well for "an evolutionary surge to a new level" of cultural development and economic transformation where ecological sustainability has become a reality. However, the authors acknowledge that the growth of the Creative subculture is barely recognized, even among themselves. The various media underreport their activities and their social influence. For one, as stated, many Creatives are simply unseen. Secondly, the successes of earlier movements in integrating schools, registering voters, limiting nuclear arms, and setting environmental standards have made those agendas old news. And thirdly, as the authors indicate, advertiser-driven bias is a factor in news coverage. It's hard to conceive of a group flying below the radar having much public influence.
In addition, the authors applaud the eschewing of politics and pressure groups by Creatives. They point out that involvement in the political process often involves compromises or the watering down of agendas, which is anathema to Creatives. But the authors do concede that many activists believe that "political protest is what really counts in changing society." The authors also contend that Creatives "are no more liberal or conservative than most Americans." Yet it is acknowledged that the Creatives "reject the intolerance and narrowness of social conservatives and the Religious Rights." It would seem that any group that would attempt to limit the prerogatives of big business would have to do so from the left. Of course, a central view of the authors is that the Creatives will infiltrate the hearts and minds of Americans and thereby indirectly achieve their agenda: "concerns for the planet, for ecology, and for spirituality will become as normal and natural as motherhood and apple pie."
There seems to be a lot to question about this book. There is really no hard-core evidence presented that convinces the reader that there are 50 million Cultural Creatives. And even if so, their inward turn, their individual pursuits, and their apolitical stance make society-wide transformations, led by Creatives, seem unlikely. The U.S. culture and politics have made a rightward turn over the last decade. Again, where are the Creatives and what is their political influence? Despite their optimism, in the end, the authors see the U.S. as "muddling through" the excesses of modernism. It may even be that instead of shifting towards the Creatives, Moderns need to develop sharper and more critical insight into their material and business dominated world.