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Human Science Investigation.Learning objective: To create a discussion on Human Science. To use the assessment criterion correctly. Today we are going to use real life situations to respond to / create a question that can be investigated and discussed.Economics: Why can't I get paid to go to university? : Should teaching always ask students to evaluate their own thinking? : Why is there still prejudice and stigma attached to mental health issues? How does the portrayal of society in the media affect our response to it? Activity. In groups you will be given one of the Human Science questions above along with a real life situation.You can attempt to answer the question or you can create a new knowledge question based on the real life situation / questions raised by other students.You must follow the assessment criteria you have been given:The knowledge question is effectively explored in the context of the real-life situation, using convincing arguments, with investigation of different perspectives. When you have finished your investigation and discussion you will create a new group, with one person from Education, Economics, Psychiatry and Sociology. You must discuss each question, raising counterclaims.You will present you main ideas to the class.Your task is to prepare a presentation on one of the areas of Human Science from EAD TOK in a box, which are listed below. Part of Human ScienceStudentAnthropology.Economy.Education.Geography.Law.Linguistics.Medicine.Philosophy.Psychiatry.Psychology.Sociology.Human science1) Introduction“Under the most rigorously controlled conditions of pressure, temperature, volume, humidity and other variables, the organism will do as it damn well pleases.” 2) What are 'Human Sciences'? The human sciences seek to explain or understand human behaviour.What does human behaviour include? What does it look like? 3) How can conscious behaviour be understood? Can conscious behaviour be understood without examining motives, or the meaning of an action, for the people involved?4) How can human behaviour be studied? Can human behaviour be examined under some kind of scientific microscope in the same way as bacteria? 5) Can human behaviour really be studied scientifically? Isn't the human consciousness too unpredictable to be studied within the rules of science? 6) Is this area similar to natural science? Can the same methods and standards be applied as are used in the study of natural sciences? 10) How does human science relate to our world? Human science by its very nature would seem closely related to us as individual human beings. But how does it relate to other social and cultural aspects of life? 1. Anthropology1) IntroductionHow would you define anthropology? How does it contribute to ‘knowing’ about ourselves? 2) What is the purpose of anthropology? “The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences.” Do you agree? Explain.3) What does it mean to know something anthropologically? What sorts of questions are addressed by anthropology? In the study of the human condition past and present how can anthropologists attempt to answer questions such as:? Where did humans originate? ? What are the ancestors of modern humans (Homo sapiens)? ? How did humans globalise the planet? ?How does culture change? 4) How important are ethics in anthropology? Most people are first exposed to anthropology through museum collections – what role do museums need to play in showing the material ethically? Could you draw up a code of ethical responsibility for the way anthropologists carry out their research and communicate their findings? 5) Are you a humanitarian? How can anthropology help us to explore the word 'humanitarian'? 6) What skills does an anthropologist need? Some anthropologists live among the culture they are studying in order to help them record how they live. This branch of anthropology is called ethnology. How valuable is this sort of study? 7) Why does anthropological study tend to adopt a holistic approach? 8) How does anthropology connect to other Areas of Knowledge? Do mathematics, art and history have their own anthropology? 2. Economics1) IntroductionWhen you think of economics what do you think of? Is it money, trade, the economy or something else? What do economists study and how do they contribute to our knowledge of the world? 2) Economics -science or art? “Economics is the science which studies human behaviour as a relationship between given ends and scarce means which have alternative uses.” Lionel Robbins (An Essay on the Nature and Significance of Economic Science, 1932) What do you think? If economics is a science why is it unable to predict the economic slumps?3) What kind of questions can economics address? Can economics tackle these questions and how does that help us to gain knowledge of the modern world? How can knowing these answers help us to better prepare for the future? ? Why can't we pay public sector workers such as nurses more? ? Why do I have to pay so much tax on any money I earn? ? Why does the price of my train journey go up so much if I want to travel before 9 am? ? Why can't I get paid to go to university? 4) How does economics influence our everyday lives? If economics is about making decisions that affect resources and business, what knock-on effects can this have to individuals? If the economy is going well, or badly, how can that affect the mood of a whole country? 5) Why and how are economic principles used in politics? How does economics guide decisions? 6) Is money the same as economics? Firstly you need to consider what money is – is it more than pieces of paper and coins in your pocket or in the bank? 7) Why is economics important? Can understanding economics help us to make more responsible decisions about the resources we use? 8) Can economics help us to find an answer to poverty? 94% of the world income goes to 40% of the people, while the other 60% must live on only 6% of world income, meaning that almost one billion people live on less than a dollar a day. How would you address this concern? 9) Do economics AND emotion dominate the financial markets? Standard economics suggests that people choose between financial options based on their perception of the desirability of the outcomes; emotions are not involved. Is that what really happens? Behavioural economics emerged in the 1980s and started to study the emotional aspects of the financial market. So if economics could predict the affect of emotional impact how would that help? 10) Can culture influence economics? As an example consider 'Asian values', where the culture has played an enormous role in negativity influencing the financial markets. What is the perception of Korean and Japanese businesses? Does the West consider them corrupt and are they prepared to turn a blind eye? 3. Education1) Introduction“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” Oscar Wilde (Irish writer and poet 1854-1900) 2) How would you define education? Why do we have schools -are they doing anything useful? How is education a human science? 3) What is education for? As society changes so do schools. Is modern education about imparting facts and skills or is it about socialising children because that no longer happens in the home? Should teaching always ask students to evaluate their own thinking? Is knowledge just a means to an end?Is education approaching philistinism? 4) Does the education system prepare us for the future? 5) What does a good education mean for you? For you personally how important is your education? Do you have a clear goal in mind that education can help you achieve? Research since 2000 has shown that the effect of education on occupational attainment has greatly increased whereas the influence of social and family background has decreased. 6) Should education be compulsory? Even though opportunities for education might be available should we force those that are not interesting into taking them? Would education be better if it was reserved for those who wanted it? If education was voluntary what affects might this have on the individual, and society in the short and long-term? 7) Should we have faith in public education? Does private education offer something more or is it just for those that can afford it? Who should public schools be accountable to? 8) Does education depend on the knowledge and skills valued in society? Do academic subjects have more credibility than vocational ones? How valuable are vocational skills? Are adult prejudices corrupting the curriculum? 9) The bigger role of history in education A 2006 study in Scotland followed students aged 8-10 who learnt about the Holocaust. The schools involved noted "an immediate and lasting impact of pupils' values". How important is it to learn from accounts of real events? 10) How important is morality in education? 11) Does culture matter in education? How much of your upbringing and where you live affects your educational ambition? For example, why do many Singaporean children aspire to attend top Western universities, while the typical Indonesian child wants a real paying job as soon as possible? How important should intercultural education be in our modern world? How important is indigenous education? 12) Does perception have educational significance? With our sense organs being the 'gateway of knowledge' how important is it that the way we learn to 'know' our world uses all the senses? 13) What is special about emotion in education? Should education result in emotional competence – an ability to cope with the experiences of the world? 4. Geography1) IntroductionWhat does geography include? Is it strictly a human science or a subject that bridges the gap between humanities and the natural sciences?2) Geography is the 'mother of all sciences' What does that mean? Do you agree? 3) The four traditions of geography Geographer William D. Pattison described the four traditions of geography as spatial tradition, area studies tradition, man-land tradition and earth science tradition. What are the core concepts in each of these traditions? Is this a good way of defining geography? Would geography be better explained in terms of themes such as location, place, environment, movement, region etc.? Do you have a better definition? 4) 'What's over there?' Why is geography important? How important is the concept of 'place' in knowing and developing a complete understanding of social and physical processes? 5) How important is geography in other subject areas? How does geography play a significant role in helping us to 'know' politics, economics or history? Why do you often find geographers in fields such as environmentalism and resource management? How important is geography in making 'citizens'? 6) How important is geography to you? We live in a global society – your friend on the other side of the world is only a phone call, e-mail or tweet away! However, to what extent do you agree that the place where you were born is still the greatest influence on your life? How does that affect your standard of living and outlook on life? Does this help to explain the number of immigrants moving to first world countries? 7) Can you see 'culture' in geography? If you are looking at an everyday landscape of a town or country the 'culture' may be obvious, but what is it you are defining as 'culture'?Can you also see 'race', 'class' and gender?Does geography give the knower everything they need to 'know' about a landscape? If not, what is missing? 8) Is geography emotional? Imagine your response to a colourful sunset over a warm ocean and now your response to a slum where unsanitised water runs down the street. Why do we feel attached to some places or less comfortable in others? Are our emotional responses a valuable part of knowing geography? 9) How do we perceive geography? “People’s perception of places and regions is not uniform.” National Geographic 2008 Do you agree with the statement? Did you study geography to a level where you could achieve a recognised qualification? If you didn't why not? Does that perception of geography in schools need challenging? 5. Law1) IntroductionWhat is the purpose of law? Does it serve all people equally?Is law an art or a science?Should law create peace or go to war? 2) Is there a difference between law and conscience? “Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.” Mark Twain (American writer 1835-1910) Law only has scope when the majority is formed and stands behind its ideals. 3) What is value in law? “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.” Martin Luther King, Jr. (American minister and civil rights leader 1929-1968) How does law define and protect value? 4) How important is language in law? “I read briefs prepared by very prominent law firms. I bang my head against the wall, I dash my face with cold water, I parse, I excerpt, I diagram and still the message does not come through. In addition the structural content is most often mystifying.” High court judge [Text slide]Legalese seems determined to cloud law with words that should be empowering. Plain language becomes distorted and twisted into such a peculiar understanding that even professionals find it difficult. What would be the benefits of decoding the language of law? Why hasn't this already been achieved? Or is legalese more important than perhaps most of us realise? Is it more precise or a tool without which law would fail? 5) Does law have problems because it isn't a science? Some argue that law fails to accept that it is in fact a science, where the structure for research, analysis and synthesis develops the disciple as objectively as possible. Does law need to adapt? Is it self-serving, dysfunctional and corrupt? Law and science both rely on evidence. How does that allow us to gain truthful knowledge from it? 6) Does modern law substitute reason for violence? A letter to the alumni of the South Western University School of Law (USA) alluded to the accomplishments in law as "legal order committed to resolving disputes between humans by reason and not by violence." Is everyone in agreement with that? The words seem very reassuring until you consider whether or not they reflect actuality. Could law, in some circumstances, provide the reasons for resorting to violence? 6. Linguistics1) IntroductionLinguistics studies human communication and the languages that enable communication. There are currently 6000 languages on the planet but many are disappearing. 2) What is it you know when you 'know' a language?3) How can linguistics help us to 'know' about human cognition? What do all languages, including non-vocal ones, have in common? How does an understanding of language compare to other faculties such as an understanding of number? (How have languages changed over time; where did they come from?) 4) How does the brain learn language? Where is lingual information stored in the brain? How do children learn language so quickly? Why are people who learn more than one language at an early age more easily able to learn new languages when they are older? 5) Could we really talk to animals? Does human linguistics have anything in common with animal communication? 6) Is there a natural link between mathematics and linguistics? A number of universities offer courses in mathematics and linguistics citing that they 'can be studied together quite naturally'. How do the methodologies used in each discipline complement each other? 7) What part does the use of language play in society? What does dialectal and social variation show us about the use of language?Does dialect affect how a person is perceived? Does dialect have any effect on social, political and educational issues? 8) Is there a relationship between language and culture? Does your personal use of language (idiolect) affect the way you think and even act? Could a common language bring different cultures together? 7. Medicine1) Introduction‘ars medicina’ - the art of healing. Could medicine be considered both an art and a science? What disciplines are included? Does good science make good medicine? 2) Medical roots The earliest medicine made use of natural resources such as plants and minerals. The art of healing was often linked with magic and religious practises, e.g. spiritualism, shamanism and divination. Is there any room for these ideas in the study and practise of medicine today? 3) The importance of technology in medicine 20th Century Western medicine has made increasing use of technological advances to boost healthcare.Has technology been used too much at the expense of an holistic approach? Can medicine cause more harm than good? 4) Why are there disparities in medicine? The quality of care available or being given to individuals across the world is often a matter of controversy; this can apply as much to those countries in poverty as well as to elderly people receiving poorer quality care. How important is it for medicine to adopt an approach of ethical equalness towards all patients? What are the problems with this ideal? 5) Is medicine limited by science? After all science hasn't solved all health problems. 6) Is there a role for complementary therapies/medicines? Approximately one in five people try some form of complementary medicine every year (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NCCAM). What's the appeal and do we really get anything out of it? Why is the term complementary medicine used instead of alternative medicine? How can we substantiate the claims of people who say CAM works for them? 7) Does war ensure the progress of medical research? With increasingly sophisticated ways of trying to suppress other people in battle the medical profession has had to adapt to dealing with the changing nature of casualties. Does war positively influence medical advance and social change or does war hinder it? 8) Why must medicine be ethical? In order for medicine to exert responsibility through an ethical approach it has to base ideas on reason and science. Does medicine need to be ethical towards patients? What happens when this system fails? 9) Is there a special language to medicine? Doctors do tend to speak a version of the common language and forget to explain details they take for granted. How important is communication in helping to heal patients? Why is medicine both subjective and objective? 8. Philosophy1) IntroductionTo ‘know’ philosophy do you need to live it? Is philosophy relevant to everyday life or a subject for intellectual satisfaction? 2) What sort of questions can philosophy address? How can philosophy help us to speculate abstract notions and tackle questions such as: ? Is the world really as it appears to be? ? Does God exist? ? Why are we here? ? What freedom of choice do I have? 3) What is knowledge? Epistemology helps us to define knowledge.Where do we get our knowledge from? How skeptical should we be in accepting knowledge? 4) What is the true value of knowledge? This is the question that the pragmatic philosopher asks – they look carefully at the things we think we know and whether these beliefs have any place or use in the real world. 5) What part does reason play in philosophy? 6) As a 'love of wisdom' does philosophy also have an emotional side? How can you define this? 7) Does philosophy help us in our perception of the world? Children perceive things in themselves as an understanding of their world (na?ve realism). As adults we develop a more direct perception of our world using our senses to interpret our environment (direct realism). Our 'knowing' also develops so that we can be aware of mental things (idealism) but also question whether external objects are real or not (skepticism). Do you agree with these ideas or do you think there are other ways in which philosophy helps us to perceive reality? 8) Is philosophy a science? Does philosophy have facts and formula like science? Can you assess a prediction or theory by testing it with controlled variables? 9) Does philosophy have a distinctive method? How would you describe this method? How does the method allow philosophy to be successfully applied to other Areas of Knowledge? 10) How can philosophy help us to 'know' our world? “People who have cut their teeth on philosophical problems of rationality, knowledge, perception, free will and other minds are well placed to think better about problems of evidence, decision making, responsibility and ethics that life throws up.” Anon What do you think? 9. Psychiatry1) IntroductionThe word psychiatry is derived from two Greek words, ‘psyche’ meaning mind or soul and ‘iatros’ meaning doctor or healer. What does psychiatry mean to you? What images does it bring to mind? 2) From magic to medicine Human mental disorders have often been misunderstood, misdiagnosed and even feared. In Western culture before medical science developed sufficient knowledge to understand behavioural problems the origin of mental illness was often considered supernatural; magic, sorcery and exorcism were all used to drive out evil spirits causing 'illness'. And what about the medical approach of the 19th and 20th centuries? Do you have a rosy picture of the lunatic asylum? What went wrong with the idea of the mental health hospital? Consider without bias a modern hospital caring for those with mental health issues -are they sanctuaries or prisons3) Isn't it all about mad people? What are your perceptions of psychiatry?Why is there still prejudice and stigma attached to mental health issues? What role can psychiatry play in helping to overcome these?4) How does psychiatry work? Do you know what a psychiatrist does? 5) Is there a cultural line dividing the sane and insane? Can behavioural breakdowns be conceived in terms of chemical and biological processes or is that too simplistic? Can a person's culture be a cause of mental illness? Do the meanings and treatments of mental disorders vary across cultures? Are mental disorders in Western developed countries recognised as an illness whereas elsewhere they are marginalised? 6) Why is it hard to find words like depression, stress and anxiety in non-Western lexicons? Why does the English language contain approximately 2000 words about emotional states whereas most other languages only contain a tenth of this number? 7) When do mental disorders become normal behaviour? Who determines this? Is everyone likely to be in agreement? For example, according to the American Psychiatric Association homosexuality "crossed over from a mental disorder to a normal behaviour in 1974" at which point it was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 8) Do political beliefs have anything to do with mental health? Is there any connection between the political freedom or political identity of an individual and mental health? What happens if politics abuses the role of psychiatry? There are plenty of examples of political dissenters in the USSR and People's Republic of China being classed as mentally ill to discredit their opposition – do you think this still happens? Should politics have any say at all in psychiatric science? Psychology1) IntroductionWhat is psychology? How does it differ from psychiatry? 2) How do psychologists study the human mind? The mind is a mysterious place...so how do you study it without splitting open someone's head? Though the mind may be seated in the brain, is studying the brain the same as studying the mind? What tools does the psychologist need? How can studying someone with brain damage help to build knowledge? 3) What methodologies are used by psychologists? How is a scientific method employed – predict and test, or observe and test? How can we see someone thinking?How can we assess their mood and perception of the world? How could a psychologist empirically assess the way we remember things or our level of intelligence? 4) How does psychology link to other Areas of Knowledge? “In life, particularly in public life, psychology is more powerful than logic.” How does psychology link to and influence subjects such as biology, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, law, and medicine? 5) Is psychology biased? “Like all sciences and all valuations, the psychology of women has hitherto been considered only from the point of view of men.” Karen Horney (German psychoanalyst and psychiatrist 1885-1952)What is the author trying to say? To what extent can you agree? 6) Do you believe what other people tell you? Do you trust yourself or are you swayed by peer pressure? In a simple test psychologists asked individuals to select a line from a choice of three that matched the length of another line already in place. As you might imagine most people beat the challenge, that is until they were asked to work as part of a team. The other team members deliberately choose incorrect lines and amazingly almost 75% of individuals followed their suggestions. So why do we conform to this peer pressure? Why do we suddenly doubt our own reasoning and perception? 7) Does psychology affect our ability to act? A woman has just fallen off her bicycle in the park; she has obviously hurt herself and is struggling to get up. Would you go and help her? Would you still go and help her if you were part of a group? Many people answer that as part of a group they are less likely to help but why is there a difference? Do you assume that someone else in your group is going to help? Now you are aware of this how will it make you act differently the next time you are faced with something similar? 8) Is moral behaviour only made possible by moral reasoning? Psychologists Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan thought so. Kohlberg's theory of moral development proposes that people make ethical judgments based on a set of principles and methods. 'Maslow's hierarchy of needs' describes an alternative ethical approach in psychology, one in which humans need to fulfill their self potential and fix what's wrong with the world. Which of these best describes ethics in psychology? 9) Can psychology help us to understand how we 'know' things? If we are studying the mind and that's where we keep information then surely it does, or does it? It goes back to the question 'How can we 'know' anything at all?' Some psychologists suggest that some of the things we know are hardwired from birth. For example, babies seem to have a basic knowledge of number and the rules of grammar. Once children start to learn language they do so incredibly quickly, and far more quickly than just learning from their environment. Therefore some grammar and ideas about language must be part of our genetic make-up. Would you agree with this reasoning? 10) Why is it important to consider the history of psychology? We are exposed to psychological ideas everyday and they influence the way we view and feel about the world. Historically psychology has roots in science and philosophy, and contains many social and cultural aspects. These have influenced the development of politics and ethics in the past and now. Are you aware of this psychology? Do you think it influences you? 11) What makes you happy? Do you live the psychological good life? Positive psychology research (more than self-help advice) has revealed/confirmed that the following contribute significantly to happiness:Good social relationships (these buffer us against disappointment) ReligionA good job or worthy work Caring about and for others -there is an argument that instead of teaching critical thinking schools should teach unconditional caring Money spent on other people The idea that you can learn to be happy.How much would you agree? Of course you should firstly consider what happiness is and whether it is truly attainable at all. Sociology1) IntroductionSociology - the study of society. What is the connection between the biological and social existence of human beings? How does this affect our understanding of reality? How does it help to create both individual identity and the place of an individual within society? 2) How are sociology and knowledge connected? How is human thought linked to social context? Should the study of human science (or natural science) include the social effects of science or the social conditions in which science is studied? 3) How can we best understand human society? There are four main theoretical perspectives: 1. Functionalism – the function of society as a whole. The common analogy is to consider parts of society as 'organs' that contribute toward the proper functioning of the 'body'. 2. Feminism – observes the position of women in relation to men and power. 3. Marxism – believes that the working class proletariat is exploited by the owning class bourgeoisie. 4. The New Right – the nuclear family underpins all society. Do these paradigms contradict each other? Do you have to adopt only one idea or can two or more of these ideas work together to contribute knowledge? 4) How important is the methodology of social science? Sociology draws on both primary and secondary data, analysis, experimental research, surveys and observation.How happy are you to accept the conclusions from these studies as truth? 5) Should sociology be 'value-free'? What does value-freedom mean? How does it fit with objectivity and subjectivity?How can researchers in sociology remain objective? How can you remain objective and at the same time be aware of any value judgments influencing or intruding the research6) How does the portrayal of society in the media affect our response to it? How often do the media cover multiple views of an argument to give a rounded perspective? How aware are you of misunderstanding in the media that leads to negative stereotypes? What makes your view of something that could be described as 'extremist' or 'fundamental' different from the next person? ................
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