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In Pursuit of Polymaths: Understanding Renaissance Persons of the 21 St Century In Pursuit of Polymaths: Understanding Renaissance Persons of the 21 st Century by Angela J. Cotellessa B.A. in Communication and Psychology, May 2003, University of Southern California M.A. in Communication Management, May 2006, University of Southern California A Dissertation submitted to The Faculty of The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education May 20, 2018 Dissertation directed by Michael J. Marquardt Professor of Human and Organizational Learning and International Affairs ProQuest Number:10749910 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ProQuest 10749910 Published by ProQuest LLC ( 2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University certifies that Angela Cotellessa has passed the Final Examination for the degree of Doctor of Education as of February 27, 2018. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. In Pursuit of Polymaths: Understanding Renaissance Persons in the 21 st Century Angela Cotellessa Dissertation Research Committee Michael J. Marquardt, Professor of Human and Organizational Learning and International Affairs, Dissertation Director Tracy T. Arwari, Adjunct Professor of Research Methods, Committee Member Ron Sheffield, Adjunct Professor of Leadership and American Studies at Christopher Newport University, Committee Member ii © Copyright 2018 by Angela J. Cotellessa All rights reserved iii Dedication To all those people who are striving to become their best, truest, fullest selves, to those who pursue the broadness and diversity of their humanity, to the aspiring polymaths of the world: I deeply respect and support your paths. This work is dedicated to you, the brave and curious explorers of life. My hope is that the pages you read here help you on your journey towards the expression of your most authentic, expansive self. Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself; (I am large, I contain multitudes.) -Walt Whitman iv Acknowledgments I have many people to thank who have supported my journey to becoming Dr. Cotellessa. First, this dissertation would not be complete without acknowledging the role that my grandparents, George and Georgia Meyers, played in it. They always made me believe in my own capacity to achieve any goal I set for myself and provided endless support in immeasurable ways throughout the entire course of my life to help me realize myriad dreams. Without their positive, sustained influence, I am not sure I would ever have attempted to even obtain a doctoral degree; and so, much of the credit for this dissertation belongs to them, my primary role models in life and my beloved heroes. Mamaw and Frampa, you are both legends to me and I will be forever grateful for having you as my grandparents. To my Lily Georgia: I feel as if I should share this with you, an honorary member of HOL/ELP Cohort 27, and my dissertation co-author in spirit. I became pregnant with you while I was a doctoral student, cared for you through my coursework and through comprehensive exams, and navigated my dissertation journey with you by my side. However, no accomplishment I could ever achieve in my education, career, or elsewhere will ever compare to the pride I take in being your mama. I love you deeply, unconditionally, and forever. To my husband, Joe Cotellessa: part of why I was initially drawn to you as a person is because I believe you are a polymath. Whether it is quoting Shakespeare, enjoying classical music or reggae, expressing yourself through your photography, building an IT network, leveraging your Eagle Scout capabilities by always being v prepared for a disaster, driving a snow plow, or training a dog, you are a Renaissance man at heart. Your ability to teach yourself, learning and doing anything you set your mind to, is inspiring to watch. Also, our wedding vows said, among other things, “I promise to be supportive to help you achieve your goals and dreams,” and I thank you for supporting this big dream to earn my doctorate. (But don’t worry, I will not expect you to call me Dr. Cotellessa.) To my kind mother-in-law Sue, wonderful brother Paul, and dear friends, Mineko, Peg, Claire, Len, Jessica, Krista, Tiffany, Sara, Steve: your unending support and friendship over the years has enabled me to counterbalance the stressors of a doctoral program with camaraderie, connection, and a sense of encouragement. You are all my pillars. Whether a blood relative or not, whether you live near or far, I consider you all my family forever. I also want to thank, specifically, my cohort mates, Lynn and Michael, for being such wonderful classmates. And I also thank my boss, Dr. Wells, for her support of pursuing my doctorate. To my dissertation chair, Dr. Marquardt: thank you for believing in my topic and in me. Your expert guidance along the way made my work immeasurably better. Plus, you have been a pleasure to work with, and I have learned so much from you working on this dissertation and beyond. I respect you tremendously both as an intellectual and as a very good human being. To my committee members, Dr. Arwari and Dr. Sheffield: thank you for your expert refinements and support throughout this process. It has been a true pleasure to work with each of you. vi I also thank all the polymaths—though their identities must remain anonymous— who allowed me to interview them as part of this research. Each and every interview was truly a privilege to be a part of as a researcher. I honor each of your polymath journeys. vii Abstract In Pursuit of Polymaths: Understanding Renaissance Persons of the 21 st Century This phenomenological study focused on the lived experiences of modern day polymaths. The constructs of openness to experience, identity, self-directed learning, polymathy or multi-disciplinarily, and intrapersonal functional diversity were used to frame the research. The primary theoretical lens of this study is based on Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. The inquiry focused on accomplished polymaths with careers spanning both the arts and sciences. The participants’ narratives provided insights regarding how they became polymaths and what their experiences as polymaths have been like. The population for this phenomenological study was found using snowball sampling (also called chain or network sampling). Interviews with thirteen participants were conducted using a modified version of Seidman’s (2013) method, focusing on (1) life history, (2) details of the experience of being a polymath, and (3) meaning making of being a polymath. Through applying Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological data analysis methods, a total of twelve themes emerged. In addition to the twelve themes, textural and structural descriptions were presented that helped to elucidate the essence of polymathic experiences. Seven conclusions were drawn from this research: (1) to be a polymath, one must accept not fitting in the typical box and perhaps even embodying apparent contradictions; polymathy is being intrapersonally diverse, (2) polymaths are exposed broadly, think creatively and strategically, and juggle their many interests and obligations through effective time management, (3) being a polymath can make life richer, but it can also be viii quite difficult, (4) polymaths are excellent at being creative and solving problems creatively, (5) polymathy develops due to a combination of nature and nurture, and polymathy is maintained in adulthood by a willingness to continue to work to improve oneself through self-directed learning, (6) polymath identity is discovered from not fitting in; polymath identity can be difficult to fully own and to explain to others, (7) family and financial resources impact the emergency of polymathy. A number of recommendations for theory, practice, and research are provided as well. ix Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Abstract ............................................................................................................................ viii List of Figures ................................................................................................................ xviii List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xix Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Overview of Chapter ....................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ...............................................................................................
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