ABSTRACT

This paper presents a conceptual analysis of young children’s creative thinking, with special reference made to their social relationships. Cultural contexts are also inextricably tied to creative thinking, although it has received less attention in creativity research. This paper seeks to fill this gap by discussing the link between social relationships and creative thinking, and some of the challenges facing creativity in Asia. It draws on the distinction Glăveanu (2010a) makes between: social relationships as external factors that create the conditions for individuals’ creative expression, and social relationships as internal factors that are part of one’s creative thinking. It also discusses the implications of his work on early childhood practice. The paper concludes that children’s creative thinking is a relational phenomenon, and its diverse nature, and the multiple ways in which it is being fostered in various early childhood practice, warrant further attention from early childhood and creativity research.

Keyword :