Weeks 15-17 Review and Assignments

With finals fast approaching, I have fallen behind on the review assignment blogs the last two weeks. I apologize.

 For Unit 12 (weeks 16 and 17), we had three basic ideas we were discussing and learning:

 1.The “Human Sciences” is a framework of knowing, categorizing, and analyzing human behavior towards prediction and possible prevention/correction 

2. The “Human Sciences” is a collection of loosely related branches of evolving thought throughout history. Today, the paradigms correspond to Behaviorialism vs. Gestalt, Naturalism vs Interpretivism. And Qualitative vs. quantative research. 

3. The “Human Sciences” have several AoK crossovers, including ethics, nature vs. nurture, and the ongoing pursuit of “truth” and/or “fact”. 

We completed the following 7 activities (2 weeks) to reinforce these ideas:

1. We considered the difference between motives in "a man drinks a glass of wine" and "a deer drinks from a river". We noted the possible similarities and the massive differences associated with both actions. WE concluded that, whatever else being equal, when studying humans we both understand (being a part of the species), and recognize, a vast behavioral complexity due to the advanced cognitive functioning of the human brain (as well as any metaphysical, environmental factors involved). We extract, analyze, symbolize, and deconstruct events in a way that is lacking in other species.

 2. We watched a clip from "Deal or No Deal", in which the participate "reasoned" towards a massive reward loss.
 We identified the various players in the "society" of the stage (the contestant, his wife, his mother, his friends, the audience, the host, the "banker", and even the beautiful women holding the briefcases). We discussed the seemingly infinite nuance involved in the process, leading ultimately to the irrational risk-taking. A problem of knowledge emerges: To what extent does external factors contribute to our behaviors, especially with regards to the positive and negative consequences of high-stakes risk taking behavior?

 3. We read descriptions of human rituals/events in which "human science" language was conspicuously absent. We noted why the language of the Human Sciences is important in our ability to fully understand the meaning behind human behavior (as opposed to the mere reliance on Natural Science terminology).

 4. We watched a clip from "Silence of the Lambs" and discussed the body language, tonality, theatrical crossover (since the actors are creating fictional characters), and the interplay of "good" and "bad" Human Science application.




 5. We experimented with the "McGurk Effect" to introduce the tension between causation and correlation in research.

 6. We briefly discussed controversial topics such as suicide, LRA and child army, as an introduction to quantative and qualitive research.



 7. Lastly, we discussed the paradigms of the naturalist and interpretivist positions, focusing on the effects of the environment on behavior (Pavlov, Milgrim, etc.) Leading to the problem of knowledge question: Is all our behaviors dictated by society, our genes, or by metaphysical substances such as free will?

 Assignments are in the Drop box folder (due by 6/6/13)