The Concept of World View - Essay Example

Concept of World View and its Application to University Learning Name Institution Course Date Concept of World view and its application to university learning Introduction World view is a concept applied to individuals or a general society describing particular ethics, values or emotions of the society or individual. It helps in understanding people or the society that people live in. This concept can also be used to describe views and principles that are generally accepted in the society, through which people can base their understanding of another individual or their own self. World view provides a basis for understanding others, and the surroundings. One of the theories used to study individuals is the medieval theory1. The medieval world view theory describes self, suggesting that the mind and the body are two different concepts that can be separated and studied individually. There is another theory that studies individual in terms of their behaviour. This theory postulates that, an individual has a mind which is broken down into behaviours and response to stimuli. Therefore, the theory suggests that the mind, the body and nature have a dependent relationship that makes them inseparable2. Medieval worldview is where a character or personality is entrenched on a strict hierarchical system with every identity taking its own place in the hierarchy. A person is in the organic world where it is merged and takes the identity of others in all forms3. Individuals apply a set of a set of views and consolidate them so as to help in understanding others and their own character. Since individuals, society and aspects of life vary extensively with different factors; worldviews introduces periods or stages that link these characters and providing a clear understanding of one self. Medieval worldview is based on the writing of Aristotle. There was a belief that self was the spirit which resided in every being and that all spirits resided in God4. Enlightenment worldview on the other hand is based on ideas of Descartes and Newton. These theorists believe that nature is subjective and that our self we are made up of the mind and the body. Isaac Newton, an English scientist’s studies influenced thinking through his automatous view of nature. As a result of his studies, the current revolution of science was introduced. Descartes establishes a philosophy that emphasizes on doubt basing his argument on questioning people’s existence including a person’s own existence5. The theory of enlightenment is taught in universities in psychology studies where the human mind is studied. Descartes questions the truth of human thinking about what people think is trues. We ask our self if what our minds convince us is true is certainly true. Descartes statement relating thinking to existence is applied in university learning such that, a person who is able to think is proven beyond doubt to exist6. World view explains the concept of self well through philosophy, sociology and psychology as stated by Julia. These are university learning concepts taught to improve understanding of people and environment. In university learning, the basic study of personalities and mind is taught through the psychology discipline. Psychology relates the body to nature. Since this discipline assumes nature to be dead, the reductive method can be employed and the body can be broken down into small parts so as to view nature7. As suggested by psychologists such as BF Skinner, the mind can also be broken down to smaller parts and studied like the body. This psychologist introduced behavioural Psychology. As stated by Julia, a whole person is equated to their behaviour and their behaviour is linked further to stimuli or inducements and response8. Another theory in studying an individual under the world view concept is the modern world view. In modern worldview, an individual is part of the body and mind which are further both of broken down and studied as separate concepts. Lastly, post-modern world view is the final stage and relates individual thinking to the supernatural and spirits. This theory contradicts the medieval concept which explains the spirit and God postulating that god is said to have died and therefore every individual can do anything they want. Another idea brought forward by this view is that every individual exists separately from each other as a result of time and place difference9. University learning involves integration of different cultures that vary with time. Worldviews are influenced by culture and times hence vary with time. Worldviews are accepted by all people in the society as the basics of comprehending nature, self and other selves. Some of these worldviews include medieval worldview, scientific worldview, modern and postmodern worldview. For instance, a medieval worldview associated every occurrence to a supernatural force-God who controlled all aspects of life. A postmodern worldview is that there is no God and that all occurrences are because of man personal doing10. University learning also requires that learners get to fully understand expectations of the university and university culture. The concept of worldviews enhances this understanding and keeps miscommunication between the learners and the instructors at a minimal due to improved communication through an understanding environment. For example, the learner is expected to be expressive of their ideas in a more unruffled way and provide the information in a rational order of proposition. Concept of worldviews enhances understanding of the plan to provide evidence to support stated facts and finalizing in a summary conclusion of all issues raised in the arguments11. Concept of world view is essential in university learning since in order to interact effectively in learning environment, students and teachers in collaboration need to set up peer-support groups and networks. These networks and groups can be used for evaluations in intermittent teaching. Discussions and evaluations based on groups and group teaching can be carried out to assess progress made. In learning environment, competitiveness and knowledge transmission can be achieved if students work collaboratively, teaches one another and if they grab ‘opportunity and encouragement to form a variety of study groups and study syndicates12. Collaboration cannot be avoided since it is among the most common aspects in a learning environment13. Professionalism is an illustration of worldview application where both students and staff realize the importance of forming study syndicates, groups or network in to share their problems. The aspect of responsibility is also evidence of world view concept so as to realize academic success by any person who is not entirely based on his/her efforts but as well on previous experience, learning styles and available resources for learning. Rene Descartes concept of doubt that illustrates world view is also applied among students where students’ judgment is analyzed. Students are believed to be competent but their level of judgment is inspired by the teaching staff and interaction within other students14. Another relationship between worldview and university learning is the concept of knowledge where aspects like ethnicity and sociology are covered. There are many concepts in the topic of Knowledge in social science; however, the two key concepts that have been identified by many are concepts such as ethnicity, health or social capital. Most of the social science surveys that are carried out around the world measure these concepts at hand. Social science concepts tend to define behavior, attitudes and characterizes of individuals or a certain communities15. One of the key concepts in social studies is the social capital and ethnicity which play a very important part in human development. Cultural studies in university learning grow from one background to another and due to the fact that they are inter-related should thus not be subjected to any form of categorization16. Stuart writes and suggests that there is another category of culturalization, and this is the critical nature towards oneself. Stuart proposes that cultural studies came to being because of the growing human conflicts and crisis that most of the initial studies have been generated. People are usually responsible for resenting the appearance of cultural studies17. By doing this, he aims at exposing its false claim of being what is referred to as an integral formation. The social and economic attitudes that surround communities which at the same time explain various factors, internal and external lead to the break up and making up of people’s culture into a whole new life18. As for the other part of the reading about the crisis of humanities, Stuart tries to talk more on what is known as the standards debate. Here he attacks the concept of free Public education system involves teachings on developments in social and cultural studies in the institutes. World view plays a major role in preventing or more so minimizing cultural crisis in the earlier and modern society19. Difficulty in understanding and is one of the most common experiences while teaching cultural studies in universities especially when introducing the concept to institutions. Scholars experience some difficulties having to teach it as a discipline or a new part in the development of knowledge20. Through worldview, the development of cultural studies is possible as a united effort among teachers and scholars that is manifested in the pedagogical methods of the Birmingham School for cultural studies. Knowledge in social and cultural studies is important as a politically infested atmosphere that joins together with the general environment21. Bibliography Minnis, A. J. 1988. Medieval theory of authorship scholastic literary attitudes in the later Middle Ages. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10576125. Perler, Dominik. 2001. Ancient and medieval theories of intentionality. Boston: Brill. Roger Chartier, The Cultural Origins of the French Revolution (1991). The argument is expanded in Daniel Brewer, The Enlightenment Past: Reconstructing Eighteenth-Century French Thought (Cambridge U. Press, 2008) Jonathan I. Israel, A Revolution of the Mind: Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy, Princeton, 2009, pp. 49–50. Julia Hobson, Concepts of the Self: Different Ways of Knowing about self (Murdoch: Murdoch University, 1996) Lynn Hunt, R. Po-chia Hsia, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein and Bonnie G. Smith, The making of the West: Peoples and cultures: A concise History: volume II: Since 1340, Second edition, Boston: St. Martins, 2007. Lee Andersen. “Five fatal fallacies about studying at university.”HERDSA News 16, no. 2 (1994): 3 Williams, Raymond. Culture and Society 1780-1950. Columbia University Press; 2 edition , April 15, 1983. Stuart, Hall. "The Emergence of Cultural Studies and the Crisis of the Humanities." The Humanities as Social Technology, Vol.53, 1990: 6. Lee, Richard E. Life and Times of Cultural Studies: The Politics and Transformation of the Structures of Knowledge (Philosophy and Postcoloniality). Duke University Press Books , January 7, 2004. Cosgrove, Mark P. 2006. Foundations of Christian thought: faith, learning, and the Christian worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. Sire, James W. Naming the Elephant: Worldview As a Concept. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2004. Naugle, David K. Worldview: The History of a Concept. Grand Rapids, Mich. [u.a.]: W.B. Eerdmans, 2002. Nederman, Cary J. Readings in Medieval Political Theory: 1100 - 1400. Indianapolis, IN [u.a.]: Hackett Publ, 2000. Riskin, Jessica. Science in the Age of Sensibility: The Sentimental Empiricists of the French Enlightment. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. Marriott, Rita de CássiaVeiga, and PatríciaLupion Torres. Handbook of Research on Collaborative Learning Using Concept Mapping. Hershey, Pa: Information Science Reference, 2010. . Bertrand, J. Mark. Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2007. Samovar, Larry A., Richard E. Porter, and Edwin R. McDaniel. Intercultural Communication: A Reader. Boston, Mass: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. Biggs, John B., and Catherine So-kum Tang. Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does. Maidenhead [etc.]: Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press, 2011. Hay, Iain. Inspiring Academics Learning with the World's Great University Teachers. Berkshire, England: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press, 2011. . Read More