Introduction
Fielding Graduate University’s Creative Longevity and Wisdom (CL&W) contributions since 2004 are a continuation of the “sea change” noted by the late Gene Cohen that shifted away from a problem-based view of aging, largely rooted in ageism, to seeing growth and development well into the later years of life. While the concepts of positive aging and creative aging may suggest a less than realistic view of later life, conscious aging which encompasses end of life and spiritual dimensions of growing older, is also an arena where CL&W has offered space for research, practice, and praxis to thrive.
History of CL&W at Fielding Graduate University
Creativity and Longevity and Wisdom: Generative Aging in Times of Transition. Connie Corley, Valerie Bentz, David Blake Willis, and Barbara Volger In K. Rogers and M. Snowden (Eds.) (2019). The Fielding Scholar Practitioner: Voices from 45 years of Fielding Graduate University. Fielding University Press.
Generative Aging in Times of Transition
Today’s world is demonstrably experiencing a major phenomenon which has received relatively little attention, and yet its implications are enormous for all of us. As societies age in the 21st Century, one of the most incredible demographic features, following the example of Japan, is the rapid rise in the number of citizens 60 years of age and older. Not only has the percentage of these citizens changed as a larger part of the society, but many of these individuals have continued working, often in new and creative endeavors following retirement from an earlier career. The wisdom and creativity of this group of people is impressive, conferring a ‘longevity advantage’ which needs to be better understood.
Creative Longevity and Wisdom at Fielding Graduate University was launched in 2004 as an initiative and later as a Doctoral Concentration of the School of Human and Organization Development (now School of Leadership Studies) fostering events, conferences, collected papers (Bentz and Rogers, 2007), plus recognition of 15 outstanding international scholars and over 30 Student and Alumni Fellows. Through the Concentration and with funding through Fielding’s Institute for Social Innovation (ISI), these milestones of scholarship and practice have gained attention as students, alumni, and faculty have received recognition of their research and practice in Creative Longevity and Wisdom (CLW). Many have presented internationally and published their work (e.g., Corley and Southam, 2018; Corley, Willis, Dobberteen, & von Baeyer, in press). Fielding has also become part of the Age-Friendly University international community through the efforts of members of the concentration.
In this article, we describe the evolution and implementation of various aspects of Creative Longevity and Wisdom as an intentional community within Fielding where students and alumni have furthered their careers and the well-being of people in the second half of life, not only as a Concentration but as a process of acknowledging and engaging outstanding scholar practitioners within CLW. Fielding Graduate University is an early example of an Age-Friendly University at the leading edge of change.
Access a pdf of the article here.
Fielding Graduate University CLW Outstanding Scholar-Practitioner Awardees
2021 – Peter Whitehouse
2020 – Ace of Cups
2018 – Mirabai Bush and Ram Dass
2017 – Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, MSW, PhD
2016 – Elizabeth Isele
2015 – Lars Tornstam, PhD
2014 – Lawrence Ferlinghetti, PhD
2013 – James Birren, PhD
2012 – Richard Leider, MA
2011 – Mary Catherine Bateson, PhD
2010 – Fernando Torres-Gil, PhD
2009 – Connie Goldman
2008 – Gene Cohen, MD, PhD
2007 – Harry “Rick” Moody, PhD
2006 – Gisela Labouvie-Vief, PhD
2005 – George Vaillant, MD
2008 CL&W Project Archive
Creative Longevity: Essays on Aging and Wisdom. A publication of Creative Longevity and Wisdom A project of The Institute for Social Innovation At Fielding Graduate University, March 2008. Edited by Dudley Tower, PhD, Creative Longevity and Wisdom Alumnus Fellow, Valerie Malhotra Bentz, Professor, School of Human & Organization Development, Fielding Graduate University, and Katrina S. Rogers, Professor, School of Human & Organization Development, Fielding Graduate University
- Title Page
- Preface
- Table of Contents
- Introduction Part 1
- George Vaillant, Does Wisdom Increase with Age?
- Kathryn L. Jepson & Gisela Labouvie-Vief, Symbolic Processing in the Elderly
- Harry R. Moody, Justice between Generations: The Recent History of an Idea
- Introduction Part 2
- Ruthellen Josselson, Relationship as a Path to Integrity, Wisdom, and Meaning
- Gisela Labouvie-Vief, Women’s Creativity and Images of Gender
- Suzanne Baer, Creative Aging: Older Women Enroll in Academic Degree Programs
- Rita Lusgarten, Creativity, Longevity, and Wisdom: Women’s Wisdom in Leadership
- Pamela Young, On the Life of Betty Friedan: A Narrative Study of an Aging Woman
- Introduction Part 3
- Thierry C. Pauchant, Organizational Existentialism and Aging
- Thierry C. Pauchant, Outline on Integral Leadership
- Laura Markos, Building an Age-Friendly Workplace: Organizational Development Challenges
- Introduction Part 4
- Laura Markos, Stretching Exercises: Toward Higher Levels of Adult Development and Fulfillment
- Cathleen S. Colón-Emeric, Natalie Ammarell, Donald Bailey, Kirsten Corazzini, Deborah Lekan-Rutledge, Mary L. Piven, Queen Utley-Smith, Ruth A. Anderson, Patterns of Medical and Nursing Staff Communication in Nursing Homes: Implications and Insights from Complexity Science
- Bo Tep. Pol Pot, a Great Teacher: Healing my anger, hurt, pain, and sadness from the patricide in Cambodia
- Annotated Bibliography
- Concept Map
2024 CL&W Seminar Series Archive
CL&W scholars participated in a seminar series organized by the Fielding Somatics, Phenomenology and Communicative Leadership group. Zoom recordings and transcripts of these seminars are presented below.
David Blake Willis and Connie Corley Zoom Recording
David Blake Willis and Connie Corley Transcript
© Valerie Malhotra Bentz, 2024
Please Share with Attribution: Valerie Malhotra Bentz (2024). Creative Longevity and Wisdom in Transformative phenomenology and us: A bouquet of reflections on the impact of transformative phenomenology. Retrieved from https://transformative-phenomenology-and-us.home.blog
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.
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