Month: September 2021

Chapter 1 QCQ 

“And the pity and disgust that pictures like Hick’s inspire should not distract you from asking what pictures, whose cruelties whose deaths are not being shown” ” → This quote provokes the question of how unbiased can photographs be during war. Is there ever one side during war that goes without killing and cruelties? This starts to open the readers’ minds to challenge preconceived ideas about what photography and war mean. Is one type of death more important because it has been recorded? These are very heavy questions, and I don’t know the answer, but I think they are essential to keep in mind as people make judgments and form opinions on these types of images. 

Chapter 2 QCQ 

“ The war America waged in Vietnam, the first to be witnessed day after day by television cameras, introduced the home front to new tele-intimacy with death and destruction” → I always found it so interesting that arguably the most protested war was also the first war that showed the public unfiltered realities of war. It seems like in previous wars, all photography, films, and the news were sorted and picked and then fed the public some viewpoint that corresponded with it. Vietnam had so many points of access that made the public able to calculate more of their own opinions. I wonder if the overwhelming anti-war movement during Vietnam would have been the same if those photos/news videos were not allowed to be seen by the general public? 

• “This feeling of membership in the collective human experience across time and space is the highest achievement of culture, and nothing contributes more to its renewal in every generation than literature” → I like the theme of membership and connectedness this quote embodies but also how it importantly highlights the need for renewal. I feel that sometimes literature can seem closed off and like the “classics” are set. The renewal of generations bringing in more concepts, social challenges, and viewpoints is a great way to update what resonates with the people. Which, as was stated, is how we travel beyond set boundaries and share our collective experiences. This quote also makes me wonder at what point contemporary literature becomes a classic and piece of writing understood by most to be influential? 

• “Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably appears in great literature” → I understand what this quote is getting at, yet I can’t help thinking of the negative ways literary works were used to push forward all the examples above. Political propaganda and fake news of today make it incredibly hard to find a work of literature that is fully truthful and doesn’t create even more inflammatory conditions between groups of people. Literary writings of the past even claimed biological reasons for slavery based on “scientific findings”. Today, we know these works are atrocities and completely untrue, but what did people think when they came out? Literature can create some deep divisions within people, especially political, but is there a way to circumvent that? I do think that being well-read and exposed to many different ideas and views can help make society have more well-informed and intellectual thinkers, but there has to be an acknowledgment of the negatives as well. 

 Quote →“…exhibiting one’s work implies a sort of declaration even when one does not mean to make one” 

Comment → I found this quote to be intriguing, and the way it is worded got me thinking a lot about how people are perceived in society. The whole concept of how others view you vs. how you view yourself is fascinating and hard to wrap your head around. Then, in this quote, we see an addition to this concept that not only are you as an individual being constantly observed by others around you but now so is someone’s work. Exhibiting ourselves on a day-to-day basis just by existing is a type of declaration. For example, the clothes we wear, the places we go, our jobs, and all these small choices add up and make a declaration to others around us that we might not even consider as we are going about our lives. 

Question → With the exhibition of artwork like Pozzi talks about, it seems like an easier concept to understand that a declaration is being made for an art exhibition. I wonder if this makes it less important though? Even though something might be easier for the public audience to interpret and judge, should we still value that someone has put this out without full awareness of how much society can interpret and give some understanding? 

Quote → “Depersonalization art, they feel, better represents the one-dimensionality of men and women’s lives and, by including less of the egotistic concerns of an individual artist or the cultural elite, it offers a common denominator of access to mass culture”

Comment → Depersoanlizaion seems like an excellent way to make art reach the most people and stretch beyond boundaries, which I think can be true. However, when I think of music, cinema, and other types of art, it is deeply personal and specific, yet people still make their own interpretations and find ways to connect something to their own lives. I would think that there could be the same kind of quality within art as well. I understand that maybe some people who are not well versed in more sophisticated types of art could look at the work and not get as much out of it as someone who did understand the background and cultural references. Nevertheless, I would like to think there could still be an appreciation of beauty that comes from it. 

Question → : If music, film, etc., can be very personal and specific, could art be too? Why should an artist hold back on their personality shining through their work for fear that not enough people will get exactly the right image or explanation? It becomes so personal for every person who admires it because we all have different points of view, and no one person will feel the same. To me, it becomes a fantastic feeling that someone’s artwork can reach across boundaries just because of the human experience and all our collective backgrounds. 

Personal:

One personal goal I hope to achieve this year is to reach out to a broader group of people than just my classmates and dorm. It feels straightforward to stick to a routine of people and ideas that coordinate with what I’m learning in class or shared experiences like in the dorm. However, one of the best parts of college is that there are countless opportunities to meet new people and share perspectives and ideas. I just have to take the time to go out and do it. As stated in Jeffery Scheuer’s article “Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts”, education can be a “wellspring of ideas and questions, and a way of promoting flexibility and openness to diverse perspectives”. It was very easy to pursue these kinds of activities in high school for me as I had a very close group of friends and a school environment that actively encouraged involvement and discussions about important and somewhat controversial topics. I know that UNE has that same kind of dedication, as mentioned abundantly in the Core Handbook, that being exposed to a wide variety of perspectives and people is a crucial element to a well-rounded education. I want to pursue this by joining the Women and Gender Studies Club, which I did. This group will provide plenty of opportunities to get involved on campus and hear new voices and opinions on topics that I am incredibly passionate about. Scheuer expresses at the end of his article that having “active, thoughtful, humane, and productive citizens is what society needs”. Setting this goal for myself will not only help me and enrich my time at UNE, but it could also add to the number of perspectives and unique individuals on campus who take the time to be active participants in advancing the diversity of thought on campus.

Academic:

An academic goal that I feel will help me a lot with my transition to college academic life is having a mindset that allows me to be okay with different grades than I received in high school. My first instinct is to dwell on transcripts and think way ahead to the future, even as far as what law schools will see as I’m applying. When this class first introduced me to Carol Dweck’s TED Talk on growth mindset I realized that I was going to have to really take a step back and examine what I hoped to get out of my time here. To understand that there are goals towards grades, yes, but what is behind those grades is what matters. Meaningful learning. The grade is nothing if I cannot utilize the skills or knowledge I was supposed to obtain in my future life. When Dweck says “not yet,” I realized that having a growth mindset and understanding that it takes time, effort, and even failures to achieve an end goal. A great success will be where I can feel proud of myself even when I fall short or take longer to understand a concept. It means I am working hard and advancing my comprehension and abilities.

It was harder than I thought to think about the long-term goals because I know that they might change and develop into different things as I go through the years. It was nice to lay out some of the closer goals because I can start to see myself working towards them right now. I think it will be really interesting to look back at this and see what changed.

Pre-reading. Read the title and write 3-5 sentences as a pre-reading activity. What is this article going to be about? Based on this title, what do YOU think “liberal arts” means?

• I think that this article is going to cover the broad meaning of the term “liberal arts” and expand it into multidisciplinary areas. Combined with critical thinking skills, “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment”, the two terms can reach into the meaning of knowledge and how colleges specifically interpret this. Critical thinking is already a term we see used in a variety of subjects and as mentioned in the core handbook is a crucial element of a well-rounded education. I think that the term “liberal arts” is a way to frame education in a way that extracts as much knowledge about a subject as possible. Also, not just what typically comes to mind like English, History, Art, etc. but any subject can benefit. Setting forth a certain mindset within any subject that focuses on the background of whatever information is being given, thinking about connections between topics, and exploring in an in-depth way. 

What Are the Liberal Arts? 

• In this section of the article, Scheuer’s main thesis is that the term “liberal arts” has evolved immensely over its 2,000-year-old history and its definition should be updated as well. He explains both the traditional as well as the new mindset of what a liberal arts curriculum entails and that “Neither liberal nor arts is an essential…descriptor”. Traditional areas include subjects such as grammar, rhetoric, geometry, philosophy, theology, etc. Today, some of the most utilized areas of a liberal arts program are to meld together what is generally accepted to be the most important topics such as science, art, humanities, and social sciences into a comprehensive education. The biggest takeaway from this section is to open the reader’s mind to become aware of the complexities within education and acquiring knowledge. 

Why Do We Need the Liberal Arts? 

• The two main ideas that Scheuer examines in this portion of the article are the concepts of critical thinking and citizenship. Again, he discusses the differences between the traditional definition of citizenship to allow for a more in-depth analysis of the world around us and what we perceive as our civic duty. A few ideas he brought up in regards to citizenship include how the traditional “civil dimension” includes things like voting, jury service, advocacy, and volunteering. I was interested especially in this aspect because I think today some people think of voting as just something that needs to be done and it’s more of a headache to go through the whole “political season” instead of how sacred a duty it is. It determines the course of our country and goes down in history that will be studied in the future. His idea of critical thinking and making connections between multiple spheres of citizenship seem to coincide with my idea that being a well-informed and invested citizen is the best way to ensure a successful community. Whether the topic is environmental, international, or political centered it is crucial that we as a society take the time to actively participate in decision making. 

What is Critical Thinking?

• Scheuer expresses the many benefits of obtaining an education that puts critical thinking skills into the forefront of its teachings, and how that skill set can continue on into someone’s personal, academic, or professional life. Critical thinking is an avenue into understanding not just your thoughts but how that connects with others’ thoughts and the entire world around us. Becoming comfortable with thinking deeply and having a sort of flexibility when it comes to problem-solving or understanding people and ideas. He also identifies that whereas critical thinking doesn’t have to have one definitive definition and can take on so many interpretations, that we still do need core educational skills. However, if they can be supplemented with critical thinking throughout, that will strengthen both the core subject and the individual’s capacity to think deeper. Obtaining the skills and experiences such as being able to adapt to new situations, communicate effectively, work with others, and reflect back on situations to grow. These are all ways critical thinking helps advance knowledge. 

The Importance of Critical Inquiry 

• The last section of this article focuses on how reasoning and analytic thinking doesn’t have to solely rely on a traditional format, there are concepts like “truth, nature, value…complexities, morality, freedom” that all have various meaningful concepts that add to the holistic viewpoint of knowledge. There is always a balance, fields within STEM are needed for the wellbeing of our society, but there doesn’t need to be such strict rules and boundaries with the educational process of these very different fields that either incorporate or neglect liberal arts. Regardless of what profession someone goes into or area of study, at the very core, we are human. Becoming proficient in a variety of areas can only improve our connectedness with one another and have the skills to be compassionate, intelligent, and present in society. 

Quotation Response

• “In the end, critical inquiry is not a map or list of firm rules but a set of navigational skills” → I picked this quote because it coincided with a few of my thought processes when I was picking a college to attend last spring. Everyone around me who was thinking of pursuing English, History, or Political Science picked a school labeled as “Liberal Arts College” and UNE does not have that description when looking quickly online. I was thinking of UNE and Brandies University, which says it has a “liberal arts focus” but I had to decide which elements of a school mattered most to me. UNE for example was a place that I was comfortable with, an area that was far enough away from home for me to be outside my comfort zone but close enough that I still felt I had a support system. I also knew that this school was in a safe environment and I have had so many great experiences meeting people who went there and worked there over the years that I knew it was special. I realized that the more typical liberal arts college that appeals to the humanities major doesn’t have as much importance as I thought. I can decide to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way at UNE, and I will be as successful and happy as if I was at a school where English/Political Science was the top major. Now knowing that the Core Handbook has such emphasis on elements of liberal arts and incorporates those ideas into the curriculum I know it was a great choice. 

Write 4-5 sentences drawing a connection/relationship between something specific in Scheuer and something specific in the Core Handbook.

One thing in the Core Handbook that I noticed Scheuer also states in his article was the theme of teaching students to learn how to learn, fostering a mindset that allows for an openness and eagerness to learn even after college. In section IV of the Core Handbook, it describes how “Core courses enable students to chart courses of self-directed and ongoing learning”, to me, I found this wording very important. The ability for students to not just blindly follow what an institution tells them is essential and get the credit and move on, instead, there is a need for active participation on both ends. Students are taught to think more critically and deeply about their education and how it affects them after they leave. In the article “Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts”, this theme is also very present when discussing how “The liberal arts embody precisely the skills a democracy must cultivate to maintain…active, thoughtful, humane, and productive citizens”. This overarching statement that appears in both texts draws a connection to how essential it is to learn to think in a way that creates success within college but also beyond, whether that be the workforce, tertiary education, or personal lives. 

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