WISDOM IN SOCIAL CONTEXT

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss the social nature of wisdom. A social-contextual framework for the study of wisdom is indeed highly useful because wisdom is an inherently social phenomenon. A number of different facets of this social nature of wisdom can be distinguished: (a) its source (wisdom revolves around social conditions and their specific challenges and uncertainties); (b) its genesis (social interactions are an important antecedent and correlate in micro- and ontogenesis); (c) its recognition (wisdom is typically identified through consensus); and (d) its function (usually wisdom dilemmas have a social dimension). It is the central aim of this chapter to illustrate and elaborate these facets covering proximal social environments (including persons), as well as distal social contexts (e.g., societies and historical periods). In doing so, we focus on the Berlin wisdom paradigm as a particularly well-validated empirical approach that has assigned importance to the social nature of wisdom from its beginning in the 1980s (Baltes & Staudinger, 2000). Also included is a commentary, "The Dynamic Relationship Between Age Stereotypes and Wisdom in Old Age" by Becca R. Levy and Corey Pilver. Levy and Pilver's comments focus on: (a) the innovations of Staudinger, Kessler and Dörner's presentation and the research it describes; (b) whether age stereotypes (defined as beliefs about old age) are an additional social factor, not considered in their chapter, that may influence and be influenced by wisdom; and (c) suggestions for future research prompted by the findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)