School is another aspect in my life where the concept of two cultures exists. I can either obtain a Bachelors of Science degree or a Bachelors of Art degree. At UCLA, there is a pretty clear set of courses that divides students working towards a science major compared to students working toward a major geared towards the arts. For example, science majors require certain series that need to be completed and because of this, students pursuing science majors normally see the same people in their classes. Students pursuing art majors have more variations in the courses they take, and may have less redundancy in the people they see in their classes.
This logo refers to students majoring in the sciences
This logo refers to students majoring in arts and architecture
I definitely agree with the perspective of C.P. Snow in that there are two cultures, one being that of the arts and the other of the sciences. However, this perspective has allowed me to further contemplate on whether these two cultures must always be distinct. In other words, I think that there can be gray areas in which a person can be both artistically AND scientifically cultured. I do not think that people are limited to being categorized into simply one of these two cultures, which is something that I was able to discover with Kevin Kelly's article about the third culture. He speaks about how the new culture of technology has allowed the overlap of science and art to be shown. Kelly's perspective that the progress in science is necessary for there to be progress in technology is one that I agree with because technology cannot fix everything and may be very prone to error. Therefore, it is important to remember the two cultures and use it as a foundation to help create and enhance future cultures to come.
This photo represents how science and art can overlap and create many new cultures.
Citations:
- Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." Science Mag. Science 13, Feb. 1998. Web. 25 June 2013. <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/279/5353/992.full>.
- Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. Cambridge [Eng.: University, 1959. Web.
- Williams, Christopher M. "A Dangerous Divide." The New York Academy of Sciences. Science & the City, 24 July 2009. Web. 25 June 2013. <http://www.nyas.org/Publications/Ebriefings/Detail.aspx?cid=74e271bd-4ba6-47cd-8f0a-add2ef8234cd>.
- "Bachelors of Science." Bachelors of Science RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2013.
- YouTube. Uconlineprogram, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 June 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNI7dF3DIAM&feature=player_embedded>.
I totally agree with your last point about how there is a gray area for people to be both artistically and scientifically involved but what about the people who are older than we are and are not as exposed to the technology such our grand parents? Most not all have been accustomed to the separation and I was wondering whether you think they should be assimilated or if its too late??
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good point that you made about others not as exposed to technology. However, I think that it is not necessarily true that people older than we are are less exposed to technology, I think it just depends on each individual. For example, my mom is someone older than we are, but she is much more technologically savvy than I am, she knows a lot more about it and uses it more than me, I find myself asking her questions about it. I think that anyone can be exposed to technology if they're interested in it, regardless of their age. The other idea you brought up is very interesting to me, I think that it's never too late to try anything, but again, it's just up to the individual and how much they want to learn. I was wondering what your opinion is as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on my blog I really appreciate it!
DeleteI think the bridge that connects the two has already been established long before Snow defined the two cultures. We call them ‘engineers.’ For example, architects have to understand physical challenges the structure is exposed to while designing beautiful buildings in its cultural context and industrial designers in auto industry have to understand fluid dynamics to reduce air resistance while designing beautiful cars. The list goes on.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to you in how I learned to speak Chinese at home and English at school. It isn't only language that is different but also traditions and morals. This ties back into the idea of art and science as we are taught constantly at school that these two fields are different, but as C.P. Snow mentions in his article, the two are actually very similar in their own way. It's obvious that the separation is due to mankind as it is apparent in how UCLA is constructed. We are being taught that there should be a third culture that is a link between the two, so schools should start this incorporation to aide the process.
Hello Suk Li, yes I agree! I think that there should be more integration within these two cultures, and that the third culture should be more incorporated into our school systems. I think that this would allow people to branch out and do more things they're interested in within their own majors. I also appreciate our connection with the different cultures, and I agree that there are very different aspects in our traditions and morals as well, I just didn't want to go over my word count, haha :)
ReplyDelete