The separation between the North campus and South campus here at UCLA has been present
in my daily life these past three years. I am studying Sociology, which is a North campus major and my boyfriend just completed his degree in
MCDB, which is a south campus major.
After reading C.P. Snow’s article, I began to realize how I have also
experienced a similar situation where I start my days off interacting with
students in my Sociology classes to then finding myself sitting at a computer lab
in the chemistry department.
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| South campus computer labs |
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| North campus sculpture garden- an area on campus that I walk through often |
Not only do I see the difference between these two cultures
visually, but I have also seen how the two cultures shape an individual’s
mindset and their viewpoints on things. For example, when my boyfriend decided
to build a computer my artistic side was eager to design a computer that was
visually appealing. However for him, this was an opportunity to use the parts
that would give him the
best performance regardless of the way they looked.
Even though I tend to look at things through an artistic perspective and he
insists on having concrete/tangible answers, together we worked to build
something.
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| A computer similar to the one I helped build! |
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| Left brain vs. Right brain- Stereotypes |
This relates to Professor’s explanation on stereotypes and how
people categorize themselves as a right brain person who is more artistic and a
left brain person who is someone who is more "linear". Although we see things through a different
perspective we were able to use our knowledge from both art and science to
build the computer.
This connects to what Bohm explains, that no matter if you
are a scientist, an artist or even a musical composer, the goal is to “create”
something.
Being able to get an idea of what the science culture is
like through my boyfriend and sitting in the Chemistry computer lab every week, it has opened my eyes to see more than just the
culture of art. Just like Brockman suggests, I believe that this “Third culture” can prevail in our society when we can understand not simply just the
realm of life that we find ourselves in, but also extending ourselves to another
culture.
Sources:
1. Snow, C.P. “The Two
Cultures and the Scientific Revolution” Cambridge Univ. Press, New York,
1959.
2. Wilson, Stephen. “Myths
and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology”. http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~swilson/
3. Bohm, David. “On
Creativity”. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0024-094X%28196804%291%3A2%3C137%3AOC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S
4. Graham-Rowe, Duncan. “John
Brockman: Matchmaking with science and Art”. www.Wired.co.uk
5. Professor Vesna Part II- Stereotypes Part II. https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/63226/wiki/unit-1
view?moduleitem_id=970419
Images:
maps.ucla.edu
http://www.tracygallagher.com/tag/ucla-sculpture-gardens/
Great pictures and very impression analysis for the two-culture concept. Can't agree with your more on the idea of a separated UCLA campus.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this blog because I felt like I could completely identify with it. Even though I think of myself as a little combination of both the right side of the brain and the left side, I am often torn between what aspect I should focus on. Should I focus on the practical issues or also concentrate on the creative side. I like how you have used the third culture in accordance with creating something. The third culture is an appropriate combination of the two to help you create something, something that can be appreciated both practically and artistically.
ReplyDeleteI really could relate to this blog because I am more right brained and artistic like you. I see things as the "big picture" and if I were to build a computer I would have went about it the same way you did. I also thought it was interesting how both you and your boyfriend were able to coincide and figure out the computer together as two different perspectives. If I am working with a linear, fact based, math and science person, I find it challenging to see eye to eye. Just like how in the video of the spinning ballerina you can look at her spinning clockwise or counter clockwise depending on if you are right brained or left brained. In this case the task allowed for both cultures, your artistic side and your boyfriends scientific side, to integrate and use both viewpoints to your advantage.
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