The boundaries of knowledge collected by mankind are expanding to incredibility. New, young sciences are emerging that help to understand the meaning of everything that surrounds us and improve the quality of life. We will talk about one of these in our article. The science of acmeology is a branch of knowledge about the achievement of human peaks in different areas of life. What else do acmeologists and what practical benefits their developments can bring, we will try to present in an interesting light in our article.
Acmeology - what kind of science?
The word "acmeology" came from the Greek language and has two meanings in its meaning: akme - peak, logos (this part is well known to us) - teaching. Today, the term "acmeology" is the science of the highest achievements of man.
New science is considered a component of developmental psychology. A special direction in the study of acmeology is that it explores not just the achievements that people in adulthood achieve, but also the factors that contribute to this. The "father" of acmeology, which N. A. Rybnikov is considered to be, suggested back in 1929 to associate the term with the science of the development of mature people.
The great practical significance of the results of acmeological conclusions is that they literally represent information about what conditions led a person to the heights of intellectual, physical and spiritual activity. In many ways, this brings us closer to understanding the meaning of life.
Aspects of the study of science
Acmeology is the study of the multifaceted development of man. She tries to maximally illuminate all aspects related to human development in the adult period of his life. This science covers such points as:
- Patterns revealed in the implementation of the creative potential of an adult with creative activity.
- Features of training an adult and the process of becoming him as a professional.
- Self-organization, self-education of a mature personality, as well as self-control in these processes.
- Factors of various orders (objective, subjective) that accompany the achievement of the pinnacles of activity, both concomitant and inhibiting success.
- Features of the improvement of an adult, reaction to the emergence of new circumstances (requirements of a profession, changes in scientific, technical, cultural progress), self-organization, self-correction. It also examines the changes in the person’s internal, personal interests (revising the strengths and weaknesses of their activities, awareness of their capabilities and abilities).
Thus, modern acmeology is a unique branch of scientific knowledge, designed to comprehensively examine the success of man and the components that lead to him.
The initial stage and development of the industry
The beginning of acmeology as a science was laid in 1928 by N. Rybnikov, who proposed the term itself as the name of the science of human development in the adult stage of life. But then the path of young science was just beginning.
Acmeology became a more or less noticeable separate branch of knowledge in the middle of the 20th century. Then the famous Russian scientist Ananiev B. G. determined the place of a new direction, occupied by him among all the sciences about man. Acmeology was the closest to psychology.
The science of development in adulthood gained the highest degree of recognition only in the 90s of the last century. Contributed to such a science as acmeology, A. Derkach and A. A. Bodalev. Under their leadership, the first Department of Acmeology (full name - Department of Acmeology and Psychology of Professional Activities) was opened at the Russian Presidential Academy of Public Administration . In 1992, the Academy of Acmeological Sciences was opened and officially registered in St. Petersburg. The event was initiated by Russian psychological scientists Kuzmina N.V., Derkach A.A., Zimichev A.M.
Today, acmeology is very close in goals and subject of study to pedagogy and psychology.
At the initial stages, the new science was turned to the study of factors that allow adults to obtain high achievements in any type of activity (management, medicine, law, this also includes sports acmeology). Gradually, researchers came to the conclusion that the foundation of the highest achievements of a person in adulthood is laid in childhood. At the beginning of life, new skills are actively developed, experience is accumulated, an attitude to a particular type of activity and a stable motivational readiness are formed. All these qualities, so to speak, in adulthood build personality success in all areas.
Institute of Acmeology in St. Petersburg
Acmeology has not been recognized as an independent science worldwide. So, foreign scientists attributed it to psychology. The Russians attached great importance to new knowledge, recognizing it at the state level.
In 1995, the Institute of Psychology and Acmeology was opened in St. Petersburg (the original name of the institution is the St. Petersburg Academy of Acmeology). This was the first institution focused on deep study of the young branch of knowledge.
During the time that acmeology accumulated the results of its research, a number of areas have emerged. We will talk about them later in our article.
Directions of Acmeology
Separately, the boundaries of the doctrine under consideration are professional acmeology. In turn, it has its own directions:
- pedagogical acmeology;
- school;
- acmeology of physical education;
- social;
- military;
- medical.
Other areas of developmental science in adulthood are synergistic, creative, ethnological, corrective acmeology, as well as acmeology of management and education.
Mature personality from an acmeological point of view
The center around which acmeology focuses is a mature personality with its formed and only emerging characteristics.
Science gives signs of a mature personality. This developed sense of responsibility, the desire to constructively solve complex life problems, the need to take care of others, to be in psychological proximity with people, to actively participate in public life, applying one's skills and abilities, are all that leads to maximum self-realization.
An indicator that an individual is a mature person is the recognition in a social group of his qualities and significance. Depending on the assessment of the individual in society, his attitude to his own success and failures on the way to it is formed. That is, recognition appears on a personal level. If recognition is not achieved, the person experiences psychological discomfort.
If a person does not receive recognition either in the social environment or on a personal level, this threatens him with a psychological crisis of the individual.
In addition to expressing his view of human maturity, acmeology assures that it is extremely important for society that each individual has an acme period as long as possible. By the way, acme is the most productive period in human life.
Conditions for the formation of a mature personality
Achieving peaks in various fields of activity is possible under certain conditions. Acmeology is also studying this. And here are what patterns, necessary conditions, she highlighted:
- the correct organization of time;
- formation of an active position in choosing a life path;
- professional and ethnic culture ;
- bringing into correspondence the personality traits of a person and the conditions of the ethnopsychological environment, the influence of the latter on the formation of personality ;
- favorable conditions for overcoming the contradictions between the environment and the individual;
- a productive solution to the problems and tasks of an adult;
- awareness of one’s capabilities, self-improvement and attitude to oneself as to the creator of one’s life.
conclusions
Thus, in the course of our conversation, we found out what acmeology is and what its real significance is in human development. We also learned that in Russia this young science was recognized as an independent branch of knowledge, and in the 90s the Institute of Psychology and Acmeology was opened in St. Petersburg. The science of development in adulthood can help a person realize what he really needs to succeed. Let your acme begin or continue for many decades!