RE: [xmca] Cultural Synergy/Creativity

["Vera John-Steiner" <vygotsky@unm.edu>]

Dear explorers of creativity and imagination,

Francine your thought on cross fertilization of cultures and their impact on
creativity is an intriguing one. You may want to look at Patricia M.
Greenfield's book on Weaving Generations Together where she deals with some
interesting changes through time in Mayan textiles and the impact of
urbanization on village life (sub-cultures, I guess.)
The question about imagination and creativity and possible similarities and
differences can only be answered in a lengthy message. But to begin my
reactions, I want to use an expression from J. Bruner. He defined creativity
as "effective surprise" which would require not only going beyond the given
as one does in imaginative activity as well, but the use of problem-solving,
immersion in a domain, etc. I see imagination as a necessary part of
creativity but the latter seems to encompass a larger and longer process.
Creativity researchers distinguish between everyday creative acts ("c") and 
creative works ("C") and Mike's question may need to be answered in
separating these in good Vygotskian fashion before looking at the
unification of different acts and projects into a system of processes.
Briefly, I think creativity and imagination are linked, and at times
Interwoven but not fully overlapping (I vsialize the beginning of the
eclipse.)
Vera 

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of larry smolucha
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 3:59 PM
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: [xmca] Cultural Synergy/Creativity


Message from Francine Smolucha;
The attachment contains a paper that I am writing titled aVygotskian
Perspective on Cultural Synergy and Cultural Creativity.
It is a work in progress, that might be of interest to XMCA.
As usual, I am pioneering a new perspective. The main thesis is that
Vygotsky's Theory of Creativitycan enhance our understanding of how ideas
and tools fromdifferent cultures can be used to create new inventions
andconceptual systems. Cultural exchanges throughout historyhave fueled
creativity. The contemporary emphasis oncultural exchange as conflict and
oppression, has obscuredthe creativity dimension. Understanding how the
individual, group, and society creatively use ideas and tools from different
cultures,will provide models for enhancing these skills.
Greetings from the south side of Chicago.

 		 	   		  

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