HUM 200: Applied humanities due Saturday at 7pm

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Appli e d Hum an it ie s

W hat I s A rt?

D efin ing t h e H um an it ie s

Pla n f o r t h is l e a rn in g b lo ck t o t a k e a b ou t 1 .1 h ou rs t o c o m ple te .

5 M od u le F iv e: I m pact o f t h e H um an it ie s / P ag e 5 .1 .1 D efin ing t h e H um an it ie s

On t h is p ag e: 0 o f 4 a tte m pte d ( 0 % )

O bje ctiv e : R eco gn iz e w hat w e s tu dy w hen w e s tu dy t h e h um an it ie s.

F or t h e p ast f o u r w eek s w e’v e p ra ctic ed d oin g t h e w ork o f t h e h um an it ie s, b u t w e

haven ’t y et p au se d t o a sk w hat t h e h um an it ie s a ctu ally a re . A s a c a te g o ry , t h e

hum an it ie s n ot o n ly g ro u ps s im ilar d is cip lin es l ik e a rt, l it era tu re , a n d m usic , b u t a ls o

d is tin gu is hes t h em f r o m o th er d is cip lin es, s u ch a s t h ose in t h e s c ie nce s.

C om parin g S cie n ce a n d t h e H um an it ie s

The s c ie ntif ic d is cip lin es e x ce l a t m ea su rin g, m ak in g o b je ctiv e c la im s, a n d d ev elo p in g

te ch n olo gy— th at is , a t f o cu sin g o n t h e “ h ow -to .” W e u se s c ie ntif ic m eth od s t o id en tif y

ty p es o f t h in gs ( r o ck s, o rg an is m s, s ta rs ), d esc rib e f u n ctio nal m ech an is m s ( s e ro to n in

upta k e), a n d m ea su re h ow t h e w orld w ork s ( th e b oil in g p oin t o f a n y s u bsta n ce ).

F un dam en ta lly , s c ie nce is t h e s tu dy o f n atu re ( in clu din g t h e c h em ical a n d b io lo gic al

fu n ctio ns o f t h e h um an b od y), w here a s d is cip lin es in t h e h um an it ie s f o cu s o n u n iv ers a l

h um an e x p erie nce s l ik e l o ve, h um or, a n d t h e s e a rc h f o r m ea n in g. P ut a n oth er w ay, w e

ca n u se p h ysic s t o c a lc u la te t h e f lig ht p ath o f a p ers o n s h ot f r o m a c a n non , b u t w e u se

th e h um an it ie s t o e x p lo re w hy s o m eo n e w ou ld b e s h ot f r o m a c a n non , o r w hy

th ou sa n ds o f p eo p le w ou ld g ath er t o s e e s u ch a s p ecta cle .

D iscip lin es in t h e s c ie nce s u se e q u atio ns a n d f o rm ula s t o e x p la in n atu ra l p h en om en a,

b u t t h ese a re f a r l e ss u se fu l in t h e h um an it ie s. F or e x am ple , if w e’r e d is cu ssin g w hat

m ak es t h e T V s h ow The W alk in g D ea d s o c o m pellin g, w e c a n ’t s im ply s a y “ T he f o rc e o f

a s to ry is e q u al t o t h e n arra tiv e c o n sta n t m ult ip lie d b y h ow d if fe re n t it is f r o m o u r l iv es

a n d d iv id ed b y h ow w ell w e c a n id en tif y w ith it .” E xp la in ing a c o m pellin g s to ry in

s c ie ntif ic t e rm s m ak es n o m ore s e n se t h an e x p la in ing g ra vit y b y s a yin g o b je cts f a ll

b eca u se t h ey w an t t o r e tu rn t o M oth er E arth . O bje cts d on ’t h ave f r e e w ill, s e lf -

a w are n ess, l o n gin g, o r a n y o f t h e t h ou sa n ds o f o th er u n iq uely h um an e x p erie nce s t h at

th e h um an it ie s a re m ea n t t o e x p lo re .

SH O RT-A N SW ER Q UES TIO N

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Writ e a q uest io n t h at is gro und ed f ir m ly in t h e sc ie n ces. T hat is, w rit e a q uest io n t h at c an b e

b est a d dre sse d u si ng t h e m eth o d s of sc ie n tif ic in q uir y .

S H O RT-A N SW ER Q UES TIO N

N ow w rit e a q uest io n t h at is gro und ed f ir m ly in t h e h um an it ie s. T hat is, w rit e a q uest io n t h at c an

b e b est a d dre sse d u si ng t h e m eth o d s of in q uir y m ost o ft e n u se d in t h e h um an it ie s.

J u st a s e x p lo rin g s c ie nce c a n t e a ch u s t h e m eth od s o f b io lo gic al in vestig atio n, h ow t o

c a lc u la te m ea su re m en ts , a n d t h e m ech an ic s o f o p era tin g a m icro sc o p e, e x p lo rin g t h e

hum an it ie s c a n t e a ch u s t o c lo se ly e x am in e a rt o r w rit in g, in te rp re t c lu es, g en era te a n d

ev a lu ate p ote n tia l e x p la n atio ns, a n d c o n sid er a lt e rn ativ e p oin ts o f v ie w.

W rit in g t o L ea rn

Y ou c a n l o ok a t a w ork o f a rt f o r o n e s e co n d a n d p ro b ab ly h ave s o m eth in g t o s a y a b ou t

it . B ut if y o u l o ok l o n ger a n d h ave t h e in te rn al d ia lo gu e w ith y o u rs e lf t h at w e c a ll

“ th in kin g,” y o u ’l l h ave m ore t o s a y a b ou t it . A nd if y o u s e ek t o c o m mun ic ate t h at

th in kin g t o a f r ie nd, y o u ’l l l e a rn e v en m ore a b ou t w hat y o u t h in k a s y o u h ea r w hat

yo u ’r e s a yin g.

W rit in g t a k es y o u r l e a rn in g o n e s te p f u rth er s til l. T his is w hy w rit in g is s o c o m mon in

c o lle g e, e sp ecia lly in h um an it ie s c o u rs e s. W rit in g l e ts y o u r in str u cto r s e e w hat y o u ’r e

u n ders ta n din g, b u t it a ls o l e ts y ou s e e w hat y o u ’v e l e a rn ed . A s y o u r e v is e y o u r w rit te n

d ra ft s , y o u ’l l p ro b ab ly d ev elo p q u estio ns a n d s e ek a n sw ers t o b u il d o n y o u r k n ow le d ge.

N o r e sp onse sa ved ye t.

N o r e sp onse sa ved ye t.

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Rea d in g y o u r o w n w rit in g c rit ic ally w ill h elp y o u s e e w here g ap s in y o u r k n ow le d ge e x is t

an d e m pow er y o u t o f il l t h em .

Con sid erin g a rt w ithou t t h in kin g, r e a d in g, s p ea k in g, a n d w rit in g is a b it l ik e a s c ie ntis t

m en ta lly c a ta lo gin g t y p es o f a n ts b u t n ev er g ath erin g s p ecim en s, t a k in g m ea su re m en ts ,

o r m ak in g n ote s: in b oth c a se s, t h ere is v ery l it tle s o lid k n ow le d ge, o n ly w isps o f

m em ory . B y c o n sid erin g a n d d is cu ssin g c re a tiv e w ork s, y o u ’r e e x p an din g y o u r

un ders ta n din g o f y o u rs e lf a n d o th ers , l e a rn in g h ow o th er p eo p le e x p re ss t h em se lv es,

a n d e x p lo rin g o u r s im ilarit ie s a n d d if fe re n ce s.

W rit in g h old s u s t o a h ig her s ta n dard t h an t h in kin g d oes, r e q u ir in g o u r a rg u m en ts t o b e

bette r s tr u ctu re d a n d t o h old u p o ver a l o n ger c h ain o f c la im s. T o s e e s o m eth in g a n d s a y

to a f r ie nd “ O h y es, I w ro te a l e n gth y p ap er a b ou t t h at l a st y ea r” is r e a lly t o s a y “ I’v e

d on e a l o t o f r e a d in g a n d t h in kin g a b ou t t h at a n d h ave c o m e t o u n ders ta n d m y

pers p ectiv e o n it .” T his c o n tr a sts s h arp ly w ith s a yin g “ W ell, o ff t h e t o p o f m y h ea d I

t h in k… ,” w hic h in dic ate s t h at y o u ’v e g iv en s o m eth in g v ery l it tle t h ou gh t.

( B y t h e w ay, t h is p h en om en on o f “ w rit in g t o l e a rn ” h old s t r u e in s c ie nce c la sse s a s w ell.

Y ou ’r e h um an , a ft e r a ll, a n d “ k n ow in g” a n d “ w rit in g” a re g ro u n ded f ir m ly in t h e

hum an it ie s. S o e v en if w hat y o u ’r e s tu dyin g is a m ech an ic al s y ste m o r a c o m pu te r

la n gu ag e, s e ein g y o u r o w n d esc rip tio n o f it w ill h elp y o u a sse ss a n d d eep en y o u r

un ders ta n din g.)

S H O RT-A N SW ER Q UES TIO N

In yo ur o w n w ord s, w hat d oes it m ean t o “ w rit e t o le arn ”?

R ES PO NSE B O AR D

C ho ose o ne w ork o f a rt a n d e xp la in w hat it m ean s in t e rm s of b ein g b oth a p ro d uct o f it s

sp ecif ic c o nte xt a n d a lso a n e xp re ssi on o f t h e u nive rsa l h um an e xp erie n ce.

N o r e sp onse sa ved ye t.

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clo se

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