Culture in the Rise of Tiger Economies:\ud Scottish Expatriates in Dublin and the\ud 'Creative Class' Thesis

摘要

This article evaluates the contributions which Richard Florida's seminal ‘creative class’\udthesis might make to ongoing efforts to re-inscribe ‘culture’ back into political economy\udexplanations of the rise of Tiger economies. It reflects upon the value of reconsidering\udboth the role of skilled migrants in Tiger states and the factors which attract skilled\udmigrants to these economies in the first instance. Based upon analyses of a series of\udfocus groups conducted with Scottish expatriates currently working in Dublin, the article\udspecifically attempts to gauge how far the creative class thesis can be stretched to\udaccount for the locational preferences of talented migrants. Whilst Florida's work\udundoubtedly sheds light on aspects of expatriate existence which might not otherwise\udhave been obvious, its ability to account for the relationships which have existed between\udtechnology, talent and tolerance in the Celtic Tiger must be questioned. Moreover, if\udpolitical economy and Floridian readings are to do more than simply inform one\udanother, there will be a need to establish more clearly the complex ways in which\uddevelopmental states intersect with skill flows and cosmopolitan cultural agendas.