Social Creativity-V. 1: 001 (Perspectives on Creativity)

Providing a critical overview of our understanding of creativity, this text addresses fundamental issues in the field. The contributors address questions such as: How is the creative person socially constructed? And what are the economic and social factors in the production of art? From the Publisher Comments on Social Creativity Volume 1 "This work resonates with one of the most exciting movements in contemporary scholarship: to redraw the western conception of the person, to locate our roots within relationships as opposed to isolated consciousness. This is a rich and multi-faceted collection that vitally expands the resources for achieving this end." --Kenneth Gergen, Swathmore College, Author of The Saturated Self and Realities and Relationships "A refreshing atom blast shattering outdated definitions of creativity limited to the image of the lone genius. The editors have provided a crash course in systems-oriented thinking that opens up the possibility for a more contextual and systemic perspective of the creative process. Anyone interested in creativity must read this work." --Suzi Gablik, Author of Reenchantment of Art and Conversations Before the End of Time "A thoughtful and provocative collection of studies..continues a bold initiative in an emerging field of social thought." --Robert Grudin, University of Oregon, Author of The Grace of Great Things and Dialogue "I can think of no other book that brings together a group of thinkers better able to illuminate and reconstitute the conceptual foundations of how the modern idea of creativity is understood. Sensing the increasing gulf between commodified meaning and uses of creativity, and the conceptually rich and varied ways that seminal thinkers have been considering it, Montuori and Purser have given both the academic community and public a truly transformative book." --C.A. Bowers, Author of The Culture of Denial: Why the Environmental Movement Needs A Strategy for Reforming Universities and Public Schools "A topnotch collection of thoughtful essays on the complex relationship between creativity and the social order." --Philip Slater, Author of The Pursuit of Loneliness and A Dream Deferred "Open the brain of genius seeking the roots of creativity and discover a story whose main characters are not neurons, but other people, economic circumstances and social institutions. In this excellent volume, Montuori and Purser have made a convincing case on behalf of a social understanding of creativity and genius. This volume challenges those for whom genius resides inside the individual by demonstrating the role of the broader social, economic, and historical conditions not simply in shaping an otherwise hidden creativity, but in defining its very character." --Edward E. Sampson, Author of Celebrating the Other