Barriers to Aspiration Development and Self-Fulfillment: Interdisciplinary Insights for Talent Discovery

Abstract

There is increasing concern about the plight of under-privileged gifted and talented children. Insights from disciplines outside our field can inform educators of the gifted and talented about what hinders talent development among the deprived. A model synthesizing constructs from ethical philosophy, sociology, and education reveals socioeconomic barriers to aspiration development, capacity development, and self-fulfillment. Various hypothetical life trajectories on the model illustrate the influences of these barriers on long-range talent development toward self-fulfillment and either egoistic individualism or relational altruism. Implications for gifted education include the need for more ethical awareness in the field and more realistic appraisals of hindrances to aspiration formation among the deprived.