Hukou's impact on entrepreneurial/creativity culture

[bhchao]

Do you think that the hukou system helps to inhibit the rapid growth of an entrepreneurial/creativity culture in China?

Arguably, one of the advantages of having the hukou system is that it prevents the development of large slums in urban cities populated by rural migrants, like in many cities in Latin America.

However, is this system also a major inhibitor of a "creativity culture" that rural residents could help generate in the cities?

Or is this problem more related to flaws inherent in the educational system, top-down imposition on cultural life, or ancient social values?

Although it's nice for anyone to develop critical thinking skills in school, one probably doesn't need a college or high school education to develop critical thinking skills to succeed in society. Anyone without a formal education can succeed as long as they have good business sense or hard work (which sometimes doesn't pay off due to prejudice). After all many of the richest people in the world started out as farmers or never attended college, like 王永慶, Michael Dell, or Bill Gates.

If social constraints are institutionalized, would liberalizing the educational system make any difference? (this is not a rhetorical question)

In my personal experience, some of the brightest people I met grew up in small towns in the interior, while many of the mediocre minds I encountered attended Ivy League universities or grew up in urban areas.

Edited February 5, 2009 at 05:42 AM by bhchao

[Outofin]

I think the Chinese is among the most entrepreneurial and creative people in the world. How do you define “entrepreneurial spirit”? Open business? Yes, Chinese like opening businesses. Many are born to open business. How do you define “creative thinking”?

In industrial world, there is no creative thinking whatsoever. There’re a lot of “innovative” products. They are “innovative” only to outsiders. To engineers, they’re all inevitable results of the current progress. I’m an engineer. I know many boring projects are call creative or innovative by outsiders. Are the iPod and iPhone innovative? Nooo way. It’s only that Apple made a correct business decision. It’s “business sense” rather than “innovation”, that makes Apple succeed. But, well, you can call it “creative thinking”, if you define it that way.

In that case, I think the Chinese, rich or poor, educated or not, are extremely creative in making food, because they have great experience, interest, and knowledge in making food. They’re not creative at making cars, because they have less experience and knowledge in making cars. The observation fits everywhere.

add

======

Let me try to define “creative mind”. Telling jokes is a sign of creative mind, because jokes is a way to challenge our mediocre thinking. There’re always these people around us. However, this can be trained too. We must exclude those comedians and writers who routinely write jokes as a job.

Edited February 5, 2009 at 03:53 PM by Outofin

[bhchao]

I think the Chinese is among the most entrepreneurial and creative people in the world. How do you define “entrepreneurial spirit”? Open business? Yes, Chinese like opening businesses. Many are born to open business. How do you define “creative thinking”?

In industrial world, there is no creative thinking whatsoever. There’re a lot of “innovative” products. They are “innovative” only to outsiders. To engineers, they’re all inevitable results of the current progress. I’m an engineer. I know many boring projects are call creative or innovative by outsiders. Are the iPod and iPhone innovative? Nooo way. It’s only that Apple made a correct business decision. It’s “business sense” rather than “innovation”, that makes Apple succeed. But, well, you can call it “creative thinking”, if you define it that way.

In that case, I think the Chinese, rich or poor, educated or not, are extremely creative in making food, because they have great experience, interest, and knowledge in making food. They’re not creative at making cars, because they have less experience and knowledge in making cars. The observation fits everywhere.

I am no expert on China and you are in the position to comment regarding the country.

I don't consider myself a creative person, and I admire the success Chinese entrepreneurs have had in initiating new opportunities.

Speaking from the perspective of a neutral observer, my main premise is "Why not unleash the full dragon?" Most of the growth have been generated by migrant workers in manufacturing sector. If these same workers are allowed to start new businesses and receive services like other Chinese do, will that transform the country economically in leaps and bounds? I don't know.