Week 1: Two Cultures

C.P. Snow's The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution illustrates the divide between the scientific/mathematic community and the literary/humanities community. Throughout my upbringing, I found myself aligning with the scientific/mathematic community. I enjoyed the simplistic and logical train of thought that was involved in these fields and struggled with artistic expression and expansion of my thought into the literary and creative realm.

Snow's perspective of eventually closing of the gap between the natural sciences and the humanities is one that I have found relatable recently. At my time in high school and now at UCLA, I have been aware of the divide between the stem majors and non-stem majors. My current major, business economics, is is considered a stem major, but plenty of people are shocked to learn that it is defined as such. Most associate stem majors with the physical and natural sciences and I am a perpetrator of this misclassification myself, often assuming this about others. Being on the more humanitarian side of STEM majors, has made me more aware of the presumptions often attached to STEM majors. 

UCLA's classification of economics as a stem major has forced me to reevaluate the definition of science  and redefine it with a more all encompassing meaning. It has made me open up to the fact that many humanities fields are comprised with more "science" than society gives them credit for. This presumption is not only dangerous for my community within the stem classification but further divides the gap between non-stem and stem majors. 

I think the new perspective of regarding fields as more fluid and interconnected has enabled me to be able to express my creative side more by using my more comfortable scientific and mathematic approach to the world and being able to jump off of that into the humanities and artistic realm. This new way to thinking has been extremely useful in my interest in economics as the scientific side of economic with models and studies has given me a platform to portray my humanitarian and creative thoughts in the form of policy suggestions. Ultimately, the combination of these opposing fields through my attachment to one has made much more comfortable with and capable of expressing more non linear and theoretical concepts than I had previously been.

“7 Benefits of Using This Kind of Thinking at Work.” Jobs, Company Reviews, Career Advice and Community, fairygodboss.com/career-topics/linear-thinking. 

Review, Peer. “STEM/Non-STEM Differences in Engagement at US Institutions.” Association of American Colleges & Universities, 25 Dec. 2020, www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/stemnon-stem-differences-engagement-us-institutions. 

Vega, Antonio. Science vs. Humanities: Educating Citizens of the Future. 7 Mar. 2017, www.elesapiens.com/blog/science-vs-humanities-educating-citiziens-of-the-future/. 

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.