Two Cultures:
I fall somewhere in the middle of this whole discussion. I am trying to become an educator and for me to do that I believe it's important to emphasize both arts and sciences. After reading the Lectures and listening to the lecture videos, the first person that came to mind was actually myself. Snow examines the way school sometimes unintentionally places a separation between science and arts. Snow stated, “literary intellectuals at one pole --- at the other scientists… Between the two a gulf of mutual incomprehension -- sometimes hostility and dislike, but most of all, a lack of understanding.” He talks about how the stereotype between the literary intellectuals and the scientists have actually occurred because of a misunderstanding rather than the truth.
The reason I thought of myself after reading these articles was because I have actually been interested in both sides of the spectrum since a young age. A lot of people pick one side or the other but I have always been fairly good at both. In high school, math always came to me as the easiest subject, things just clicked. However, I also took various art classes in high school. I love to be creative and make things, especially if it's hands on. I never really thought I had to pick science or art, I just loved to do both.
Now being at UCLA and thinking about the major I picked, I couldn't think of it as a more appropriate major to my perspective on the two cultures. I want to teach younger kids and I think having both skill sets, and this knowledge about the two cultures, will allow me to teach them in a more effective way.
References;
McNameeMay, Gregory, et al. “Erasing the Gap Between Art and Science.” Science, 11 Dec. 2017, www.sciencemag.org/careers/2001/05/erasing-gap-between-art-and-science.
Dizikes, Peter. “Our Two Cultures.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/books/review/Dizikes-t.html.
Arike, Ando. Leonardo, 1 Jan. 1996, www.jstor.org/stable/1578601?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.
Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.
Myna,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the fact that you can't always choose one or the other when it comes to two cultures. Growing up I always picture myself doing something in life involving science. When I took art classes it was because I had to and was never for my pleasure. Once I got to college I found myself interested in psychology which has both science and art factors to it. I find it inspiring that you want to educate young children about the importance of the two cultures at a young age. I wish I could have been taught at a young age that you don't have to stick with one path.
Hi Myna,
ReplyDeleteI also aspire to shape young minds one day! I love how you think both art and science are important to emphasize. There is definitely a balance and it's also crucial for students to come into terms with the fact that creativity is a skill that does not only apply to art and thinking analytically is imperative to making decisions. I think more than ever we are better equipped with the right resources and mindset to initiate reform!