This week's topic, focusing on the two cultures referenced in C. P. Snow's "Two Cultures and Scientific Revolution", really struck a chord with me as a UCLA North campus major. Snow talks about how the worlds of art and science seem to operate in separate spheres, with scientists and artists having opinions of one another that disparage the value of each other's subject.
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North Campus
https://lifeabsorbed.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/img_7012.jpg |
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South Campus
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Although my major is Communication Studies, which is slightly outside the realm of art and science, I can definitely relate to the divide between North and South campus and the reputation that each direction of our campus has. I work at the Trader Joe's in Westwood, and last quarter I was cashing out a customer who told me she was a professor of science at UCLA. When she asked what I was studying and I told her my major, she asked, "Isn't that known as a cop-out major? A lot of those North campus majors seem to be." I couldn't believe that an educator such as herself would diminish the academic value of the arts simply because the discipline is different than her own, and use her opinions to perpetuate the stereotype that North campus majors work less hard and get by more easily, as demonstrated by the attitudes of the picture below.
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That being said, I don't know much about South campus myself. I rarely ever venture to that side of school, and my South campus roommates tell me they hardly ever make their way to the North. In the end, I think everyone could do with recognizing the value that both art and science offer, especially when the two come together. I am looking forward to learning about this collaboration, and also more about the emerging third culture, described affectionately by Kevin Kelly as 'nerd culture' that incorporates the increasing importance of technological advances in our society as well as art and science. A cool example of all three is included in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r_QAFI3Ixw
Works Cited:
C. P. Snow, The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution(Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1959).
Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." Science Magazine. 13 Feb. 1998. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.
"LA Walk #6 UCLA." LifeAbsorbed. 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
"Science vs. Engineering vs. Liberal Arts." Reddit. Aug. 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
"The Verge, Year One: 365 Days of Art, Culture, Science, and Technology." Youtube, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 01 April 2015.
I really enjoyed your anecdote about the Trader Joe's incident. It truly can be mind-blowing to see the extent of the north campus vs south campus rivalry, especially from an esteemed academic. I also thought it was interesting how you mentioned Communication Studies as being outside the realm of art and science. Because all the articles we read and videos we watched made such a strict distinction between art and science, I didn't even think of majors like Communications or History or anything else caught in the middle playing a role into the culture dynamic.
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria! I'm so surprised that a professor would say such a thing. It just points to the lack of collaboration and understanding between both campuses at UCLA. It's actually unfortunate that we have a North and South campus in a way because the geographical division itself creates an artificial boundary. I think it would be extremely beneficial if students were encouraged to take more courses out of their comfort zone, but still related to their majors. For instance, ethics is something that is relevant to almost all careers, so I think everyone would be able to get something out of it. Such classes bring people from different areas of study together, which is what education should be about. Also, the video in your post was really interesting, and I thought it really hit home the idea of an emerging third culture.
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria! A really interesting read, totally enjoyed it. I like how you started with a personal story that you encountered while working at Trader Joes! This makes it more personable and credible. It is a great example of stereotypes towards art practitioners. It is also an interesting case because these stereotypical comments are coming out from an educator. Also, great pictures selected to demonstrate the stereotypical images of science, engineering and liberal arts. Lastly, the video you have found is great! It really hit the idea of the third culture we just learnt about the past week.
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