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"Mental Arithmetic: In the Public School of S. Rachinsky" (1895)
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Do you feel a strong affiliation for one side of the math-logic/human-factors divide? Have you had any experiences that illustrate for you the value of one side of that divide or the other? Is the question of whether or not someone "likes math" little more than a matter of taste, no different than whether or not someone like a different flavor of ice cream? If you had to choose, would you say society undervalues math and science or overvalues math and science?
I think society undervalues math and science. In middle school and high school most of the students would always complain and ask about algebra and calculus, “When do we use this in real life?”. Math is so important in our lives, at its most basic form it teaches us how to think. You have to manipulate parts of each problem to get the answer, just like in life. Most people won’t use algebra again in their lives after college or even high school, the same goes with science. The principles and ideals of math and science is what truly matters and is undervalued by society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Robby, society has placed a stigma around math in all its forms. What they do not pay any attention to is the fact that math is what stretches and forms our problem solving skills, any and every mathematical problem is expanding our cognitive ability. The same goes for science, you may never need to know the difference between Xenon and Radium, but learning it will create new schema that allows us to solve other "relevant" problems with ease and efficiency, such that we could not have prior to learning all of the seemingly irrelevant concepts.
DeleteI do feel a strong affiliation towards the human-factors side of the divide, but I also have a natural affinity for science. So even though I feel a pull to this side, I work hard, and enjoy achieving success with “left-brain” activities. We’re programmed to think that they’re only allowed to like one side of the spectrum. Since math and science are considered “hard”, most people don’t even try in those subjects. They don’t feel the sense of flow that you achieve from working out a very difficult math problem, because it’s challenging. As a society, we under-value science and math. We also under-value reading and grammar. We say that we admire both of these subjects, but most people don’t both effort required to be successful in either. We skim by hoping that what we’re doing will be enough. That’s why we turn to computers, hand-held calculators, and our smart phones. Behind these barriers, we can make it seem as though we do have passion for one side of the divide, but in actuality, we’ve just learned enough of both to make it seem like we aren’t inferior or stupid. Instead of just learning enough, we should make learning both sides of the spectrum more socially acceptable.
ReplyDeleteI am completely a left-sided person. My brain functions better with the left side. I believe that math and science are very overvalued in our society and even more than that, our world. As an English major, I am constantly ridiculed for my major being too easy or I get told that I'm in a high-end "book club." Growing up I always heard that boys were good at math. More girls, however, are going into math and science fields more so than ever before. There is nothing wrong with that but there is something wrong with our humanities and art being under-appreciated. Art, literature, music, etc. is how we get through day to day, it's how we are different from any other species out there, and more importantly, it is how we differentiate our feelings and attitudes from one another. It is how we express ourselves. We cannot do that with numbers and formulas. I have a very high level of respect and awe for those who have helped improve our medical field and technology, but I also have a huge amount of respect for those who creatively and brilliantly express their emotions, societal problems, and past issues that their culture has encountered. I think that both sides need to be appreciated because without them, our society would not be where it is today.
ReplyDeleteI am completely a left-sided person. My brain functions better with the left side. I believe that math and science are very overvalued in our society and even more than that, our world. As an English major, I am constantly ridiculed for my major being too easy or I get told that I'm in a high-end "book club." Growing up I always heard that boys were good at math. More girls, however, are going into math and science fields more so than ever before. There is nothing wrong with that but there is something wrong with our humanities and art being under-appreciated. Art, literature, music, etc. is how we get through day to day, it's how we are different from any other species out there, and more importantly, it is how we differentiate our feelings and attitudes from one another. It is how we express ourselves. We cannot do that with numbers and formulas. I have a very high level of respect and awe for those who have helped improve our medical field and technology, but I also have a huge amount of respect for those who creatively and brilliantly express their emotions, societal problems, and past issues that their culture has encountered. I think that both sides need to be appreciated because without them, our society would not be where it is today.
ReplyDelete