Constants?
Good comment from Francis tonight in my Sociology class....
In order to achieve true equity, we need to remember that humans are NOT constant. The very fact that we have the ability to create makes this true. Unfortunately, a large number of sociological theoreticians hold humans constant and believe that it is the system that needs to be changed.
this is thought provoking, there seems to be a preponderance of those with left-wing tendencies to believe that instead of 'thinking inside the box' to transform the box, we need to think outside the box to recreate it. however, if human beings are held constant in this way of thinking and it is the social order and systems that are changed, aren't we just replacing the old box with a new one? it seems to me that we are. and as good as that may be, if we cannot change the humans who create said box, then we are inevitably going to end up with the same system and same social order again.
This is all presupposing that one holds the view that humans can be resocialized and that human nature is based upon this socialization of ourselves. or, in other terms, our biology only defines a very narrow, limited part of us. I am willing to believe that I can be socialized in a certain way, that I can learn to love, to become educated and sensitive to others', it may take awhile, but i think it can be done. if i cant believe that, and i believe that i am merely a biological creature, than i have no control and no power over myself, so the power comes from the system. i dont want to believe that.
Back to this constancy. Interesting, somehow this relates back to "we are a certain distance apart" maybe i am just being facetious when i relate these two, but there is a connection in my mind. If we make the assumption that we can all learn and be resocialized to be competent in diversity knowledge, than really, we are different, but only in a certain distance, its proximal.
In order to achieve true equity, we need to remember that humans are NOT constant. The very fact that we have the ability to create makes this true. Unfortunately, a large number of sociological theoreticians hold humans constant and believe that it is the system that needs to be changed.
this is thought provoking, there seems to be a preponderance of those with left-wing tendencies to believe that instead of 'thinking inside the box' to transform the box, we need to think outside the box to recreate it. however, if human beings are held constant in this way of thinking and it is the social order and systems that are changed, aren't we just replacing the old box with a new one? it seems to me that we are. and as good as that may be, if we cannot change the humans who create said box, then we are inevitably going to end up with the same system and same social order again.
This is all presupposing that one holds the view that humans can be resocialized and that human nature is based upon this socialization of ourselves. or, in other terms, our biology only defines a very narrow, limited part of us. I am willing to believe that I can be socialized in a certain way, that I can learn to love, to become educated and sensitive to others', it may take awhile, but i think it can be done. if i cant believe that, and i believe that i am merely a biological creature, than i have no control and no power over myself, so the power comes from the system. i dont want to believe that.
Back to this constancy. Interesting, somehow this relates back to "we are a certain distance apart" maybe i am just being facetious when i relate these two, but there is a connection in my mind. If we make the assumption that we can all learn and be resocialized to be competent in diversity knowledge, than really, we are different, but only in a certain distance, its proximal.
posted by Sylvia | 10:50 PM
2 Comments:
where does that leave us? what, then, is constant? the box isn't, although it tendds to be slower moving than those of us who are in it. scary to be without anything constant to strive towards.
sylvia, was francis sitting bedies you? because one only has to know one person like you to know that humans are not constant. anyone who thinks they are should lay off the tetris.
charming and enlightening as always. i love your post-modernity.
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