Week 1 - Two Cultures

The idea that the sciences and humanities are separate fields goes against many of histories most remarkable individuals.  The ideal was once the renaissance man, which celebrated those who could be prominent in multiple fields, especially those who could be talented artists as well as excelled in scientific pursuits.  DaVinci and Galileo are universally recognized names but today we see a very different ideal, especially in America.

I am a fourth-year sociology student and a common theme in my field regarding American society is the need for specialization.  It can be seen across various aspects of our culture and is at the center of our capitalistic ideology.  People are raised with the idea that you go to school, pick a career, and settle down and start a family.  This pervasive process has become known as the American dream and it affects the paths of many individuals from an early age.

I found the Ken Robinson video quite interesting because it shows how this need to categorize has brought with it the death of cross-curriculum in education by teaching students to separate various components of their education.  This issue is also perpetuated by standardized testing which takes away the creative side to educators jobs.  Education and discovery should be catalyzed like a spark to a fire rather than forced or dictated.  By using this methodology students feel like they are being taught at rather than learning with.

Being a part of the public school system my entire life I can also say there are some issues with tracking that can demotivate and deter those from pursuing knowledge.  If the best teachers, resources, and environments are being reserved for those who are tracked higher, we are robbing students of the tools they need to find a thirst for knowledge.  

I think the two cultures are a result of an overly bureaucratic education system which isolates subjects into categories as well as forces students down a single path.  Specialization works well in factories but our society isn't supposed to run like that.  We are a large organic, interconnected group which doesn't fit into square holes.

Works Cited

Jemison, Mae. "Mae Jemison: The Arts and Sciences Are Not Separate." 'Presentation Zen' TED Talks, 16 May 2009. Web. June 2015. <http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2009/05/mae-jemison-the-arts-and-sciences-are-not-separate.html>.

McEwan, Ian, and Nima Arkani-Hamed. "What Is the Common Ground between Art and Science? And How Is Beethoven like Darwin?" The Guardian. N.p., 16 Nov. 2013. Web. June 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fscience%2F2013%2Fnov%2F17%2Fart-science-ian-mcewan-nima-arkani-hamed>.

"Science vs. Art." TheUniversityBlog. N.p., 14 Mar. 2008. Web. June 2015. <http://theuniversityblog.co.uk/2008/03/14/science-vs-art/>.

Strauss, Valerie. "11 Problems Created by the Standardized Testing Obsession." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. June 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/22/11-problems-created-by-the-standardized-testing-obsession/>.

Zalan, Kira. "The Problem With Standardized Tests." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 5 July 2013. Web. June 2015. <http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/07/05/the-problem-with-standardized-tests-in-education>.