HOW CULTURE AND ART INFLUENCE THE ECONOMY OF COUNTRIES: reflects Olena Boytsun (Part VI)
There is an idea that the world of culture — pictures, music, books — and the world of money exist, as it were, in parallel and independently of each other. Olena Boytsun, CIO of Luminate / Omidyar Network in Central and Eastern Europe, thinks differently. She is convinced that sustainable development is impossible without the inner work that culture helps a human to do.
CULTURE AFFECTS THE ECONOMY
At first glance, the question already contains a logical chain: the cultural sector is a full-fledged part of the national economy and a constituent part of the GDP, and respectivly, it makes a direct contribution towards economic growth. The creative economy, which also includes the cultural sector, directly affects the overall development of the economy.
MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY DEPENDS ON BOOKS READ
However, in my opinion, more interesting is the indirect influence of culture on economic growth through the development of labor resources. Art affects the inner world and “educates” a person, forms his character, empathy and worldview.
Perhaps the GDP formula does not include a coefficient for strong character. But entrepreneurial talent and management efficiency depend on the level of a person’s development, which means that the number of books read, paintings studied, and felt melodies also have an influence.
“BRAVE WORLD” AS A REFUSAL OF CULTURE
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley shows the choice between “happiness” (in fact, “consumption”, “productivity”) and “culture”. In the book, the Governor says: “You’ve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art. We’ve sacrificed the high art. We have the feelies and the scent organ instead”.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
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A RESOURCE FOR HAPPINESS
Consumption in general may be welcome. But long-term happiness is brought about by art, science, philosophy, playing chess… Anything that requires complex inner work that cannot be measured yet. This kind of happiness leads, if not to GDP growth, then to a high level of economic development, to sustainability, not productivity.
EFFICIENCY WITHOUT UNJUSTIFIED CASUALITIES
If the goal of the economy is defined as development, and not growth, then labor resources are converted into human capital, and the positive impact of culture and art becomes possible to feel without making unnecessary sacrifices.
To be continued…
