ABSTRACT
In past research on the development of concepts about cultural phenomena, for example in domains such as politics, economics, or religion, only occasionally the cultural context in which such concepts are developed by individuals has been included in the research. In this chapter, it is argued that to account for the adaptive function of conceptual construction, the inclusion of context is a prerequisite for both an adequate theoretical framework and empirical reconstruction. The adaptational character of concept development becomes most evident when a context itself is in the process of considerable transformation, and when individuals attempt to understand, evaluate, and cope with these changing conditions. One example in the present time are the political, economic, and social changes taking place in many countries from the former Eastern bloc. The context-inclusive view of concept development is illustrated by findings from a research project on economic concept development, which is currently carried out with children and adolescents from East and West Germany in the course of the political and economic reunion. This chapter deals with the findings on descriptions, explanations, and evaluations of economic inequality at the time when the German reunion was just in its beginning.
