Creativity: When East Meets West

Hardcover, xix + 431 pages, NOT ex-library. Clean and bright throughout, unmarked text, no inscriptions, no stamps, firmly bound. Minor handling wear. Issued without a dust jacket. -- The book examines creativity as a culturally embedded and socially influenced phenomenon by bringing together psychological, educational, and sociological perspectives from both Eastern and Western contexts. Structured around 15 chapters, it critically explores how conceptions, development, and practices of creativity differ across cultural settings, particularly between Chinese societies and Western models. The volume originated from the Second International Symposium on Child Development in 2001 and includes contributions by scholars in psychology, education, and cross-cultural research. The opening chapters lay the theoretical groundwork by addressing definitions and dimensions of creativity across cultures. These early sections highlight how cultural frameworks shape creativity-related behaviors, including individual expression, the social valuation of originality, and institutional attitudes. Concepts such as divergent thinking, tolerance for ambiguity, and implicit theories of intelligence are treated with attention to how they manifest differently in East Asian vs Western societies. A recurring theme is the tension between conformity and innovation, especially in Confucian-heritage cultures where respect for hierarchy and social harmony often coexists uneasily with the encouragement of novel ideas. Subsequent chapters explore how creativity is developed and constrained across educational and developmental contexts. Several contributions focus on the paradox of fostering creativity in Asian classrooms, where rote learning and high-stakes exams prevail. Case studies from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore detail efforts to reform curricula and introduce pedagogies that encourage creative thinking without undermining educational discipline. These include teacher training initiatives, the integration of project-based learning, and steps to operationalize "constructive creativity" in institutional frameworks. The volume also includes empirical and theoretical work on the psychological mechanisms of creativity across cultures. For example, cross-cultural studies on children's understanding of artistic expression and pictorial symbolism show how cognitive development intersects with cultural aesthetics. Contributions also examine the role of parental socialization, motivational orientation, and the social environment in shaping children's creative potential. Other chapters explore group creativity, collaborative processes, and how cultural scripts influence the generation and evaluation of ideas within teams. Later sections move toward domain-specific treatments, particularly in music, art, and education. Studies on musical creativity, for example, show how cultural metaphors influence the interpretation of sound and structure, while work on multiple intelligences demonstrates how creativity can be identified and nurtured beyond traditional verbal and mathematical domains. Chapters also include practical interventions such as the DISCOVER project, aimed at assessing creative thinking in culturally responsive ways. The collection concludes with comparative frameworks that contrast Eastern and Western models of fostering creativity. The authors emphasize the need for more culturally nuanced theories that incorporate indigenous knowledge, diverse value systems, and socio-political contexts. For readers working in psychology, education, cross-cultural studies, or organizational development, this volume provides both a conceptual map and empirical data for understanding how creativity functions in different cultural milieus. It is particularly useful for those involved in curriculum design, creativity training, and cultural policy, offering insight into how creative expression can be encouraged within different normative and institutional frameworks. …