Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I think that Sir Ken Robinson has exposed an interesting subject by speaking of the different educational systems existing as well as of the requirements of today’s society focusing especially in the reinforcement of the academicals capacities.
We don't think about this subject very often; in addition, if we compare our Chilean educational system with the other Latin-American countries, it's quite obvious that it has decreased its quality over the last years. Thus, if we think about the issue of loosing creativity according to the standards imposed by today’s reality through our educational institutions, it seems to be that the solution for that problem has not been found yet.
It's true that children have a wonderful creativity considering that at that age imagination can lead us to worlds without bordering where we can do whatever we want. In my opinion, creativity has to be encouraged at any age. But seems to be that real life cuts our wings and it does not let us develop us as talented people. When I say talented people I mean innovative persons able to solve any problem that they could face in the future. Nonetheless, we know that our traditional education is in crisis because of the wide difference between public and private schools, and thinking of a possibility of having an alternative educational system where the main point is the development of artistic abilities is a total utopia. A utopia because it might require a deep change in our society; what I think involves the acceptance of innovative or creative people as the starting point. But honestly, we are so used to everything in the way that we already know it, that doing such a change would be impossible. We are immerse in a vicious circle...
We don't think about this subject very often; in addition, if we compare our Chilean educational system with the other Latin-American countries, it's quite obvious that it has decreased its quality over the last years. Thus, if we think about the issue of loosing creativity according to the standards imposed by today’s reality through our educational institutions, it seems to be that the solution for that problem has not been found yet.
It's true that children have a wonderful creativity considering that at that age imagination can lead us to worlds without bordering where we can do whatever we want. In my opinion, creativity has to be encouraged at any age. But seems to be that real life cuts our wings and it does not let us develop us as talented people. When I say talented people I mean innovative persons able to solve any problem that they could face in the future. Nonetheless, we know that our traditional education is in crisis because of the wide difference between public and private schools, and thinking of a possibility of having an alternative educational system where the main point is the development of artistic abilities is a total utopia. A utopia because it might require a deep change in our society; what I think involves the acceptance of innovative or creative people as the starting point. But honestly, we are so used to everything in the way that we already know it, that doing such a change would be impossible. We are immerse in a vicious circle...
Friday, June 19, 2009
Actually, if I had to choose my favorite subject of this term, I would have to think which one is the most entertaining in terms of getting up everyday totally excited and anxious for having that class, but I cannot think of one subject that fulfills that characteristic. Honestly, in this semester I have not found subjects that exceed my expectations; even though, there are some classes that are very interesting and useful for my personal development. First, I have to mention “Qualitative Methods III”, a methodology class, because this class is totally necessary to understand and increase the amount of useful tools that are implied in the anthropologists` perform; maybe that is the reason that I like it. Then, despite the fact I have already mentioned a subject; it does not mean that it was my favorite. My favorite class is “Anthropology of the Development” taught by professor Mario Radrigán; in addition, this is the class I like the most because it involves issues concerning to social development, which is the filed of study that I like. This class involves other things like economical and cultural changes of today’s society in order to overcome poverty. Finally and summing up, both subjects are a very important element of our program because they allow us to appreciate complex phenomenon of our society and, at the same time, we can get familiar or more aware of those people that are the center of our studies.
Friday, June 12, 2009
I think that most of use would like to find one day a job related to one of the areas of our study career. This is related to the fact of deciding what you wanna do for the rest of your life, I meen choosing the career that totally represents our desires for our future; at the same time, it's clear that we will have to consider "money" fact when we make this decision. In Anthropology, I see a dream job considering that you can travels abroad meeting differents cultures, ideals, experiences, etc., and at the same time, trying to introduce ourselves within these cultures in order become a new member of that native place. However, I would say that ideal is a kind of a utopian drem considering that finally it may become an eternal exotic journey. I think that everyone can dream of trabeling abroad; nevertheless, I feel that a job concerning to our career has to go beyond a trip around the world; I consider that we must make a contribution to society whether if we do it in our native country or in any other one. I believe that we have to help humankind to develop a bigger understanding of reality and, at the same time, contribute to decrease social inequalities. Maybe, I would not have the resources to find a solution o that problem, but at least I think I have a useful tool for that purpose, which is to value other's people perspectives. I mean to put myself in someone else's shoes in order to see life from their points of view creating a commitment with them. I must recognize that many occasions I have felt shocked by other people's pain, but it's not enough to stay immobile to that pain; in fact, it's necessary to make something to change that. However, in this last point remains the difficulty of this job, there are not too many people willing to recognize and get someone else's problems as owns, but if we do no do it, could we say that we have done any contribution to social sciences?
Friday, June 05, 2009
First of all, it's hard to think or imagine my future life or even figure out what I'm going to do in five years from now. Nowadays, I'm studying at University and I have one more year to graduate, but if I start thinking about that idea, I'm sure that I'm going to do as much things as I can for my future life.
I would like to take a postgraduate course after graduating, but I'm sure that probably I will have to get a job first in order to get some money because postgraduate programs are too expensive in our country. So, I think I'm going to find good job in which I could earn enough money to pay the program. Regarding to this idea, I would love to go to study my postgraduate course in Mexico, because there is the seat of Latin American Universities of social development studies because that is the field of study that interests me the most. In adittion, I would like to work on that area in the future. Also, I would like to rent an apartment and live alone, I mean all by myself without any help from my family. Other dream I would like to become a reality is to travel to different latin american countries to meet different realities and learn from each one them.
At last, concerning to my personal life in a few years, I think it will not be too different from now. I don't consider the idea that in five years I will be married or with babies, because that is something that is not part of my short term life plan. Besides, I consider that in five years' time my priorities are not going to be really different and I will still considering myself too young for such responsibilities. I'm sure I'm going to postpone them maybe for ten years from now.
I would like to take a postgraduate course after graduating, but I'm sure that probably I will have to get a job first in order to get some money because postgraduate programs are too expensive in our country. So, I think I'm going to find good job in which I could earn enough money to pay the program. Regarding to this idea, I would love to go to study my postgraduate course in Mexico, because there is the seat of Latin American Universities of social development studies because that is the field of study that interests me the most. In adittion, I would like to work on that area in the future. Also, I would like to rent an apartment and live alone, I mean all by myself without any help from my family. Other dream I would like to become a reality is to travel to different latin american countries to meet different realities and learn from each one them.
At last, concerning to my personal life in a few years, I think it will not be too different from now. I don't consider the idea that in five years I will be married or with babies, because that is something that is not part of my short term life plan. Besides, I consider that in five years' time my priorities are not going to be really different and I will still considering myself too young for such responsibilities. I'm sure I'm going to postpone them maybe for ten years from now.
Friday, May 29, 2009
As I had said before, for me, the most interesting branch of Social Anthropology is the Economical Anthropology. Besides, I consider that Marvin Harris (1927-2001) is one the most prominent of this branch of Anthropology. Harris was an american anthropologist whose main work was the development of "Cultural Materialism" which is a very controversial subject for discussion. He based his work in theories from Malthus and Marx. The Cultural Materialism consists of giving an materialistic explanation that normally is related to the shortage of resources or demographical problems. Another contribution from Harris to Anthropology is the distinction between an emic and an etic explanation (terms got from phonetics). Emic represents the way by which the members of any specific culture explain a particular phenomenon whereas etic represents a scientific explanation that any external observer is capable to see in order to explain the same phenomenon. In sum, I like his work because he found an explanation for what it's called irrationality of cultures. He shows us how most of the practices, beliefs and rituals come from natural need.
To illustrate his idea, I think about his article "Mother cow", Why all the starving peasants of India refuse to eat their cows? The emic explanation is that cows are a sacred animals, but the etic explanation says that cows are more valuable as a source of fuel than as a protein input (excrement and orine of the cows are used as fuel in the kitchen)
To illustrate his idea, I think about his article "Mother cow", Why all the starving peasants of India refuse to eat their cows? The emic explanation is that cows are a sacred animals, but the etic explanation says that cows are more valuable as a source of fuel than as a protein input (excrement and orine of the cows are used as fuel in the kitchen)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
I'm studying Social Anthropology, but honestly I wasn't very convinced of my choice at the begining, I mean when I had to choose a career. I made my decision in a very short time. I remember I was in my last days at school and I think I chose Anthropology because I liked the Social Sciences. Thus, It wasn't my only option, in fact I was doubtful of waht to decide because I liked Sociology also, but at that time I thougth: "would my parents freak out if they had two kids studying sociology?" my brother and I doing the same? I don't think so (lol). Actually, I questioned my choice for a long time because my future depended on that decision. I remember of thinking that when someone has to start his/her working life and that they are going to do the same for the rest of their lives, the decision has to be very careful and based on their personal interests. then, I realized that Anthropology is a discipline that involves so many areas related to human behavior within the society, which is a very changeable fact, and there is a constant seek for answers, so everyday more anthropologists are needed to make more understandable this social phenomenon.Besides, through all these years I've acquired more knowledge about the work involved in my career. and, now, that I'm very close of starting my working life, I've understood that Anthropology is a unique tool that offers us a qualitative methodology useful to percive other perspectives concerning to society that aren't seen very often by other sciences. That is why I've become more aware and interested in economical or social development subjects. In this cases Anthropology provides me of a different point of view about the human reality that is not considered very often.
Friday, May 08, 2009
I have a digital camera that my parents gave me when I had to travel Valdivia almost two years ago. I used it to take pictures of the beautiful landscapes of the region. on the other hand, I'm not a freaking fan of taking pictures, most of the time I take pictures in special occasions or when I think I would like to remind what I'm watching for the rest of my life, because our memory is very fragile and a picture can help me to remind it. Most of the photos I have taken are of my family members and friends.This photo was taken by my one of my brothers last year, and it shows my little cousin with me in one of the many occasions in wich we are pictured together. Specifically, I really like this picture because belongs to our last vacations together. My cousin's name Valentina and she is an adorable girl that I love as if she were my little sister. That is why love having pictures of her; in adition, I miss her a lot during the year, and we can't see each other as often as we would like because she lives in Copiapó and I'm living here in Santiago.
Every time I look at this picture where she appears or when I look at any other picture in which my family appears, I feel very nostalgic and I start thinking that I would really like to go back to my home in order to see all those people I love the most.
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