Postawa twórcza a hierarchia wartości młodego pokolenia

Abstract

The very work is placed in a universally accepted interdisciplinary trend of understanding and examining the issues concerning the hierarchy of values among creatively-talented youth. The author tries to concentrate on arranging a relationship between a creative attitude and preferences of particular values, putting an emphasis on the differences in preferences of ultimate and instrumental values, depending on the level of a creative attitude to be observed. Creativity, in order to exists, needs to be received as a value, a kind of being, a desired and optimal state which an individual pursues, constantly changing his/her environment to make it more perfect. It seems prerequisite, especially at the time when the social reality simplifies the categories of creativity, boiling them down to the skills of dealing with problematic situations. Creativity is treated in the categories of nominating values, although, traditionally, evaluation is more associated with morality and reflection on it than creativity. The latest findings show that the problem of valuing, although, often invaluable, is fundamental when aiming at reaching creative effects. Currently, creative actions of individuals are considered to be conditioned by specific personality features. At the same time, it is assumed that a creative attitude is one of the factors determining changes in a cognitive system leading to the presence of specific values. Through a creative action a human being takes a position on values, expresses and makes them more realistic. Values moderate creative actions and a basic determinant of a creative activity is a motivation of the sense defined by a value valorization. Thus, it is extremely important to search a relationship between a creative attitude and values preferred by young people nowadays. The research in this very area comes from the belief that relations between a value system and creativity concern many dimensions of the functioning o fan individual. The issues concerning a relationship between an axiological system and a creative attitude of junior high and high school students constitute an interesting topic, both from a theoretical and practical point of view. A diagnosis of values perceptible and acceptable by young people under investigation shows how the basic assumptions of a social and educational policy, as well as a broadlyunderstood up-bringing are fulfilled or unfulfilled. Knowledge, life wisdom, morality of a young generation are the most striking determinants of (ir)regularity, (in)efficiency of influences of a school, family or whole society. Chapter one is a theoretical introduction to the issues of creativity and a creative attitude, understood as a kind of activity, intellectual and social openness, a drive to development and self-realization. It focuses on cognitive and humanist theories, presenting the attitudes within a broadly-understood personality structure. The subject of chapter two concerns selected issues concerning the notion of values. They are touched upon, mainly referring to social sciences, starting from a philosophical interpretation, through a sociological or psychological understanding to the values functioning in the sense of pedagogical categories. Chapter three is a report of Polish post-war studies on axiological preferences of young people. It takes into consideration all more important studies and publications in this area, an emphasis being put on the evolution of the value system from the 1960s to the end of the 20th century. Subsequent chapters include methodological assumptions of the research in question; the subject, research aims and results of the analyses of an empirical material. Chapter four also describes variables and formulates research hypotheses, and presents a characteristic of the measurement methods of particular variables. Chapter five comprises an analysis of the results of the studies on a creative attitude, hierarchy of values and ways of hierarchizing values by young people considered as creative. Chapter six is devoted to a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the research findings. The summary covers an interpretation of conclusions. The very work can help people searching information on the mechanisms of the choice of values by young people at puberty. It has been prepared for teachers, pedagogues and tutors, as well as those working with talented students.