Vlad Glaveanu
I am a social and cultural psychologist with an interest in creativity and especially the relationship between creativity and culture.
My work develops a socio-cultural psychology of creativity which considers this phenomenon within a tetradic framework of creators - audiences - creations - existing artefacts. I am therefore concerned primarily with issues such as:
1. The meaning of creativity as it is constructed within different cultural settings, in interaction between people;
2. The ways in which creativity is enacted in everyday life and especially the micro-level of its dynamics;
3. The relation between creativity and tradition, habits and routines seen not as opposed but as interdependent terms;
4. Creativity as a distributed and embodied phenomenon that exploits existing environmental affordances;
5. The development of creativity and its expression in the case of children;
6. Creativity in different domains, with a particular focus on artistic expression;
7. Creativity in groups and different ways of stimulating collective forms of creative action.
More recently my work started to explore creativity as a dialogue of perspectives and, more specifically, I became concerned with the study of perspective-taking and its role for creative processes as well as human relations (for example in the case of migrants or refugees).
Among my general interests: pragmatism, the theory of social representations, qualitative methodologies, and the relation between psychology and history.
I am also Editor of Europe's Journal of Psychology (EJOP), a peer-reviewed open-access journal, published quarterly, featuring original studies in all fields of psychology and open to scholars, practitioners and graduate students. All articles are available from http://www.ejop.org/index.php/ejop
Supervisors: Prof. Sandra Jovchelovitch
My work develops a socio-cultural psychology of creativity which considers this phenomenon within a tetradic framework of creators - audiences - creations - existing artefacts. I am therefore concerned primarily with issues such as:
1. The meaning of creativity as it is constructed within different cultural settings, in interaction between people;
2. The ways in which creativity is enacted in everyday life and especially the micro-level of its dynamics;
3. The relation between creativity and tradition, habits and routines seen not as opposed but as interdependent terms;
4. Creativity as a distributed and embodied phenomenon that exploits existing environmental affordances;
5. The development of creativity and its expression in the case of children;
6. Creativity in different domains, with a particular focus on artistic expression;
7. Creativity in groups and different ways of stimulating collective forms of creative action.
More recently my work started to explore creativity as a dialogue of perspectives and, more specifically, I became concerned with the study of perspective-taking and its role for creative processes as well as human relations (for example in the case of migrants or refugees).
Among my general interests: pragmatism, the theory of social representations, qualitative methodologies, and the relation between psychology and history.
I am also Editor of Europe's Journal of Psychology (EJOP), a peer-reviewed open-access journal, published quarterly, featuring original studies in all fields of psychology and open to scholars, practitioners and graduate students. All articles are available from http://www.ejop.org/index.php/ejop
Supervisors: Prof. Sandra Jovchelovitch
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Books by Vlad Glaveanu
This Handbook will both systematise the latest scholarly knowledge regarding creativity and culture and constitute a landmark in the development of this emerging scientific domain. There are multiple perspectives that can be engaged to unpack the various relations between creativity and culture. They include existing theoretical frameworks within the psychology of creativity and cross-cultural psychology, cultural psychology, and indigenous psychology. Moreover, different applied domains such as organisational studies, educational research, marketing, media and technology, etc. can bring new insights drawn from actual practice. Finally, disciplines other than psychology have their own distinctive contributions to make, e.g., philosophy, anthropology, sociology, history, and so on. The present Handbook will be unique not only in being among the first to address the theme of creativity and culture but do so from a variety of theoretical and applied perspectives, including in an interdisciplinary manner.
The premise of this book is that a new vocabulary of creativity is required if we are to think in original and productive ways about creative phenomena. In both scientific research and lay discourses about creativity we often come across a variety of terms such as innovation, invention, improvisation, discovery, giftedness, talent, intuition, transformation, emergence, reconstruction, combination, genius, eminence, divergent thinking, exploration, openness, etc. These terms are not ‘innocent’ but carry with them a way of understanding (and indeed, constructing) the phenomenon we are interested in. It has been repeatedly pointed out in the creativity literature (Glaveanu, 2010; Tanggaard, 2013; Saywer, 2012; Amabile, 1996) that the vocabulary of creativity is mostly oriented towards describing the individual, its attributes and internal processes. And even when we convey ‘elements’ outside of the individual creator (e.g., related to the material and social environment) there is often a disconnection between person and context supported, among other things, by the very terms we use to refer to one or the other. Indeed, the field is often ridden by dichotomies (Glaveanu, 2012) and, among them, the distinctions made between person, product, process, and environment (Rhodes, 1961) need to be questioned. The person and the environment are interdependent in creative work, the process can be a product and products themselves can contribute to their own making (Glaveanu, 2014). Unfortunately, however, the language of creativity we commonly use reifies such distinctions and doesn’t help us develop more relational and innovative ways of looking at (and talking about) creativity.
In this context, the main contribution of this volume is that each chapter will use one concept – which is not often mentioned in connection to creativity – and consider the implications of commonly using it as part of our creativity vocabulary. The resulting small ‘vocabulary’ will have each entry written by an expert in the area of creativity, organisations and culture from Aalborg University, in Denmark, where a cultural conception of creativity is being developed by the three editors and their colleagues. The authors will also experiment with creative ways of writing without compromising scientific rigour but in ways that make this book accessible and thought-provoking.
It is our hope that this short and original ‘vocabulary of creativity’ will inspire new theoretical developments by questioning the rigidity of thinking about creativity in a more or less normative, well-established manner (e.g., the traditional definition of creativity as novelty plus value often found in the literature). The concepts highlighted by each essay have the potential to help us cut across dichotomies and can inspire new ways of not only thinking about but also engaging in creative action in our everyday life. Concepts are never neutral descriptions of reality but have both a history and a certain ‘intentionality’ inscribed into them. By reshaping the language of creativity (see also Glaveanu, 2013) this book goes beyond a simple change of terms. It is an invitation to consider our assumptions about creativity and, literally, think outside the box of an old vocabulary.
Draws on systemic models of creativity and studies of creative collaboration as well as on cultural psychological sources and recent developments within cognitive science
Discusses consequences for theory, methodology and practical interventions
This book challenges the standard view that creativity comes only from within an individual by arguing that creativity also exists ‘outside’ of the mind or more precisely, that the human mind extends through the means of action into the world. The notion of ‘distributed creativity’ is not commonly used within the literature and yet it has the potential to revolutionise the way we think about creativity, from how we define and measure it to what we can practically do to foster and develop creativity. Drawing on cultural psychology, ecological psychology and advances in cognitive science, this book offers a basic framework for the study of distributed creativity that considers three main dimensions of creative work: sociality, materiality and temporality.
Starting from the premise that creativity is distributed between people, between people and objects and across time, the book reviews theories and empirical examples that help us unpack each of these dimensions and above all, articulate them into a novel and meaningful conception of creativity as a simultaneously psychological and socio-material process. The volume concludes by examining the practical implications in adopting this perspective on creativity.
Vlad Petre Glăveanu’s basic framework includes creators and community, from which new artifacts emerge and existing artifacts are developed. He points to a relationship between self and other, new and old, specific for every creative act. Using this multifaceted system requires that researchers employ ecological research in order to capture the heterogeneity and social dimensions of creativity.
Glăveanu uses an approach based on cultural psychology to present creativity in lay terms and within everyday settings. He concludes with a unitary cultural framework of creativity interrelating actors, audiences, actions, artifacts, and affordances.
dintre care primele patru reprezinta cadrul teoretic, al cincilea descrie o cercetare preliminara extrem de valoroasa pentru studiul nostru (realizata in pragul aderarii la UE) iar capitolele sase si sapte prezinta pe larg cercetarea personala. Datele pentru aceasta au fost recoltate în luna martie 2007, prin urmare cu putin timp dupa aderarea efectiva a Romaniei la Uniunea Europeana, o perioada cu mare incarcatura simbolica care a favorizat cristalizarea reprezentarilor pe dimensiunea roman - european si surprinderea lor chiar in faza atat de dimanica a formularii sociale. Repetarea acestor investigatii in
viitor ar putea sa ofere în acest sens date pretioase cu privire la
dinamica relatiilor inter-grup asa cum este ea reflectata in plan psihosocial, conceputa si mai ales traita de romani.
Papers by Vlad Glaveanu
values, in particular those associated with cooperation and collaborative
activities. Despite the fact that, in developmental studies and the literature
on education, creativity and values are often treated separately, our
premise here is that both psychological theory and educational practice
would greatly benefit from reuniting them within an integrative framework.
In this chapter, we consider creativity and prosocial values as they
develop within the Self–Other dynamic specific for communal living and
sociability (see Simmel, 1949; Jovchelovitch, 2015). We start by outlining
the theoretical foundation for our argument and reflect on schools
as socio-cultural contexts that socialize children to become creative and
moral agents.We then unpack the relation between creativity, cooperation
and prosocial values with particular reference to studies done in Brazilian
schools. Following this, we propose a tentative set of guidelines for nurturing creativity and cooperation in the classroom. We conclude with a
few reflections on the role of dialogue and reflexivity for enhancing moral
creative behavior. However, before developing these ideas, a more basic
question needs to be addressed first.
recognising, and valuing different perspectives, but this process itself doesn’t explain how exactly novelty emerges in classroom settings. Furthermore, not any kind of difference fosters creativity under any circumstances. What type of difference is favorable for creative action in educational settings? The present chapter addresses this question based on a series of theoretically-informed empirical examples.
This Handbook will both systematise the latest scholarly knowledge regarding creativity and culture and constitute a landmark in the development of this emerging scientific domain. There are multiple perspectives that can be engaged to unpack the various relations between creativity and culture. They include existing theoretical frameworks within the psychology of creativity and cross-cultural psychology, cultural psychology, and indigenous psychology. Moreover, different applied domains such as organisational studies, educational research, marketing, media and technology, etc. can bring new insights drawn from actual practice. Finally, disciplines other than psychology have their own distinctive contributions to make, e.g., philosophy, anthropology, sociology, history, and so on. The present Handbook will be unique not only in being among the first to address the theme of creativity and culture but do so from a variety of theoretical and applied perspectives, including in an interdisciplinary manner.
The premise of this book is that a new vocabulary of creativity is required if we are to think in original and productive ways about creative phenomena. In both scientific research and lay discourses about creativity we often come across a variety of terms such as innovation, invention, improvisation, discovery, giftedness, talent, intuition, transformation, emergence, reconstruction, combination, genius, eminence, divergent thinking, exploration, openness, etc. These terms are not ‘innocent’ but carry with them a way of understanding (and indeed, constructing) the phenomenon we are interested in. It has been repeatedly pointed out in the creativity literature (Glaveanu, 2010; Tanggaard, 2013; Saywer, 2012; Amabile, 1996) that the vocabulary of creativity is mostly oriented towards describing the individual, its attributes and internal processes. And even when we convey ‘elements’ outside of the individual creator (e.g., related to the material and social environment) there is often a disconnection between person and context supported, among other things, by the very terms we use to refer to one or the other. Indeed, the field is often ridden by dichotomies (Glaveanu, 2012) and, among them, the distinctions made between person, product, process, and environment (Rhodes, 1961) need to be questioned. The person and the environment are interdependent in creative work, the process can be a product and products themselves can contribute to their own making (Glaveanu, 2014). Unfortunately, however, the language of creativity we commonly use reifies such distinctions and doesn’t help us develop more relational and innovative ways of looking at (and talking about) creativity.
In this context, the main contribution of this volume is that each chapter will use one concept – which is not often mentioned in connection to creativity – and consider the implications of commonly using it as part of our creativity vocabulary. The resulting small ‘vocabulary’ will have each entry written by an expert in the area of creativity, organisations and culture from Aalborg University, in Denmark, where a cultural conception of creativity is being developed by the three editors and their colleagues. The authors will also experiment with creative ways of writing without compromising scientific rigour but in ways that make this book accessible and thought-provoking.
It is our hope that this short and original ‘vocabulary of creativity’ will inspire new theoretical developments by questioning the rigidity of thinking about creativity in a more or less normative, well-established manner (e.g., the traditional definition of creativity as novelty plus value often found in the literature). The concepts highlighted by each essay have the potential to help us cut across dichotomies and can inspire new ways of not only thinking about but also engaging in creative action in our everyday life. Concepts are never neutral descriptions of reality but have both a history and a certain ‘intentionality’ inscribed into them. By reshaping the language of creativity (see also Glaveanu, 2013) this book goes beyond a simple change of terms. It is an invitation to consider our assumptions about creativity and, literally, think outside the box of an old vocabulary.
Draws on systemic models of creativity and studies of creative collaboration as well as on cultural psychological sources and recent developments within cognitive science
Discusses consequences for theory, methodology and practical interventions
This book challenges the standard view that creativity comes only from within an individual by arguing that creativity also exists ‘outside’ of the mind or more precisely, that the human mind extends through the means of action into the world. The notion of ‘distributed creativity’ is not commonly used within the literature and yet it has the potential to revolutionise the way we think about creativity, from how we define and measure it to what we can practically do to foster and develop creativity. Drawing on cultural psychology, ecological psychology and advances in cognitive science, this book offers a basic framework for the study of distributed creativity that considers three main dimensions of creative work: sociality, materiality and temporality.
Starting from the premise that creativity is distributed between people, between people and objects and across time, the book reviews theories and empirical examples that help us unpack each of these dimensions and above all, articulate them into a novel and meaningful conception of creativity as a simultaneously psychological and socio-material process. The volume concludes by examining the practical implications in adopting this perspective on creativity.
Vlad Petre Glăveanu’s basic framework includes creators and community, from which new artifacts emerge and existing artifacts are developed. He points to a relationship between self and other, new and old, specific for every creative act. Using this multifaceted system requires that researchers employ ecological research in order to capture the heterogeneity and social dimensions of creativity.
Glăveanu uses an approach based on cultural psychology to present creativity in lay terms and within everyday settings. He concludes with a unitary cultural framework of creativity interrelating actors, audiences, actions, artifacts, and affordances.
dintre care primele patru reprezinta cadrul teoretic, al cincilea descrie o cercetare preliminara extrem de valoroasa pentru studiul nostru (realizata in pragul aderarii la UE) iar capitolele sase si sapte prezinta pe larg cercetarea personala. Datele pentru aceasta au fost recoltate în luna martie 2007, prin urmare cu putin timp dupa aderarea efectiva a Romaniei la Uniunea Europeana, o perioada cu mare incarcatura simbolica care a favorizat cristalizarea reprezentarilor pe dimensiunea roman - european si surprinderea lor chiar in faza atat de dimanica a formularii sociale. Repetarea acestor investigatii in
viitor ar putea sa ofere în acest sens date pretioase cu privire la
dinamica relatiilor inter-grup asa cum este ea reflectata in plan psihosocial, conceputa si mai ales traita de romani.
values, in particular those associated with cooperation and collaborative
activities. Despite the fact that, in developmental studies and the literature
on education, creativity and values are often treated separately, our
premise here is that both psychological theory and educational practice
would greatly benefit from reuniting them within an integrative framework.
In this chapter, we consider creativity and prosocial values as they
develop within the Self–Other dynamic specific for communal living and
sociability (see Simmel, 1949; Jovchelovitch, 2015). We start by outlining
the theoretical foundation for our argument and reflect on schools
as socio-cultural contexts that socialize children to become creative and
moral agents.We then unpack the relation between creativity, cooperation
and prosocial values with particular reference to studies done in Brazilian
schools. Following this, we propose a tentative set of guidelines for nurturing creativity and cooperation in the classroom. We conclude with a
few reflections on the role of dialogue and reflexivity for enhancing moral
creative behavior. However, before developing these ideas, a more basic
question needs to be addressed first.
recognising, and valuing different perspectives, but this process itself doesn’t explain how exactly novelty emerges in classroom settings. Furthermore, not any kind of difference fosters creativity under any circumstances. What type of difference is favorable for creative action in educational settings? The present chapter addresses this question based on a series of theoretically-informed empirical examples.