DESMA 9 Week 1: Two Cultures

DESMA 9 

Week 1: Two Cultures 

Abi Altick 

April 7, 2019 

    In “The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution,” C.P. Snow acknowledges the idea that the two cultures, the sciences and the humanities, are completely separated in the education system. This distinct separation affects many people across the world, including myself. I am currently completing my psychology prerequisites, and I have always been intrigued with the study of the mind. This is because I play tennis here for UCLA, which is an incredibly mentally challenging sport. My parents definitely heavily influenced my decision of major as they were both science majors themselves, and Kevin Kelly indicates that “science has traditionally accepted the smartest students, the most committed and self-sacrificing researchers.” Although this major is technically considered a bachelor of arts (social science), there is still an immense amount of science involved in my classes. I immediately knew I wanted to major in psychology after taking my first psychology introductory course. I was fascinated by learning about the different anatomy of the brain, which was my favorite part of the class. I definitely agree with Steve Pinker, a professor of psychology at Harvard, as he points out that our ideas and values are connected to our blood and brain (beautyandtruth09). We are finally starting to combine the two cultures and a perfect example of this is the psychobiology major here at UCLA.

                                                 The famous left brain vs. right brain example

     

    In Lecture Part I, Professor Vesna agrees with Snow as she believes that dividing our society into two cultures is harmful because “the curricular of schools and universities are the source of the problems.” This is particularly relatable for me because of the division of North campus (humanities) and South campus (sciences) at UCLA; this results in some of my classes being extremely far away from each other. I agree with Professor Vesna as she believes that both cultures must work together in order to bridge the gap between scientists and humanities (122).

Map of UCLA campus division between North and South campus 

    After graduating from UCLA with a psychology degree, my dream job would be to work as a sports journalist. As much as I enjoy studying different psychology theories, I also have a passion for writing. Playing and watching sport is additionally amongst one of my favorite things, and I cannot imagine ever stepping away from this part of my life. This is an excellent example of combining the two cultures as I hope to use my psychological knowledge in order to become a better writer and observer. All in all, I am so excited to combine my passions for psychology and writing in order to pursue my aspired career. This is just one of the many instances in which two cultures collide to create something special.

   Sports journalism focuses on reporting sporting events and competitions

                                                                          Works Cited

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 122. Print.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print. 

Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." The Third Culture. N.p., n.d. 13 Feb 1998. Web. 6 April 2019.

Beautyandtruth09. “SEE MAGAZINE.COM Two Cultures Steven Pinker.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 18 May 2010. Web. 6 April 2019.

Vesna, Victoria. “Lecture Part I: Two Cultures & Moving towards a Third Culture.” Web. 6 April 2019.