Engendering Talent in Others: Expanding Domains of Giftedness and Creativity

Abstract

Although the support by others of gifted and/or creative individuals has been well documented, what has been overlooked are supportive persons as creative forces in their own right, with the “object” of creation being the development of others for the greater good: engendering. No literature on engendering as a form of giftedness and creativity has been found that focuses on helping others to become great. This article addresses definitions of engendering, creativity as a social construction, issues of gender, and the tension between traditional and nontraditional models of achievement. It then explores engendering across three realms: the self as creative object; the home and family; and the greater society. It concludes with a call for defining, developing, and encouraging conceptions of giftedness and creativity that include engendering.

Keywords:

• conceptions
• creativity
• culture
• definition
• development
• gender
• gifted
• social construction