As a senior in high school, while applying for college and
trying to determine my future major, the first step I took was to eliminate
those subjects which I did not feel I was suited to; namely, any sort of art,
literature, or language. This essentially left me with math and science, and so
I chose to pursue engineering. Looking back, I can clearly see the influence of
the two cultures described by C. P. Snow in his lecture; I was convinced that I
would have to choose one or the other.
Even now, at UCLA, I can still see the two cultures in the separation
of the school into North Campus and South Campus, each with their own
associated stereotypes. I feel like I’m in a different world when I have
classes in the other section of campus, because I spend the majority of my time
in South Campus.
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| Fig. 1. The division between UCLA's North and South Campuses is evident in this competition put on by The UCLA Fund. |
After reading Snow’s lecture, I began to realize just how
divided our world is. Not just North and South Campus at UCLA, but also our
mindsets.
Again, going back to when I was filling out college
applications, I knew that all the universities were looking for what they
termed “well-rounded” students, yet I had no idea what that really meant. I
assumed that it meant they were looking for students who participated in
extracurricular activities or volunteer work outside of school, but I never
considered the idea that it could mean more than that. In light of what I have
learned from this first unit, I can see that the term well-rounded can really
be seen as a reference to the third culture, a culture that is not segregated
between art and science, but instead involves knowledge, understanding, and
respect for both. This realization can help with learning to communicate more
effectively with people from all different backgrounds and interests. It can
also help us to understand the necessity of both art and science in the
continuing advancement of the world.
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| Fig. 2. A UCLA graduate student demonstrates the use of both art and science as a software artist. |
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| Fig. 3. Architecture can be seen as an example of the benefits of combining art and science. |
Barrabash. Deviantart.
2009. Web. 4 April 2015.
Emerson, Owen. Daily
Bruin. 24 February 2015. Web. 4 April 2015.
Snow, C.P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.”
Cambridge University, New York. 1959.
The UCLA Fund. 22
May 2013. Web. 4 April 2015
Wilkinsin, Chris. “Bridging Art and Science.” WilkinsonEyre.Architects. 2001. Web. 4
April 2015.
I found it interesting how you related the two cultures to one of the most important decisions in your life. It just goes to show how influential this division of art and science is, with its potential to dictate the lives and future of many people. If there were an emphasis on the third culture, would you have picked a career that relates to both science and art, even if you have a stronger understanding of science? At what point do you draw a line between focusing on one culture because there is a division between science and art and focusing on one culture purely because you understand certain subjects over others?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your anecdote about choosing your major. As a transfer student I was already halfway done with my major when I came to UCLA, so I never considered how difficult it must be to somewhat arbitrarily make such a significant and life altering choice. To be honest this is the best example I've seen supporting the need for an idea of two distinct cultures. Without such generalizations of the lifestyles and characteristics of varying fields of study making such a decision would be virtually impossible. I think you put it best in saying we should strive to create "a culture that is not segregated between art and science, but instead involves knowledge, understanding, and respect for both." Perhaps the stereotypical notions behind the culture of those that study the arts and those that study the sciences do have some credibility, but we should learn to embrace those differences as a small part of the diversity of humankind. Diversity is the driving force of progress, after all.
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