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| A mesh of Iran and the United State's flags. |
Upon entering college, I found myself again battling between two cultures: science and art. At UCLA, I found there to be a prominent divide between the sciences and the arts, despite the fact that as an avid artist and lover of biology, these two things had always merged in my mind.
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| An example of my art that merges science (in this case anatomy and psychology) with art. |
As a biology major and anthropology minor, I have had the rare chance to experience both UCLA's North and South campus. This led me to a discovery that was reflected in John Brackmen's, "The Third Culture"; that studying science and humanities together enabled me to understand both subjects on a much deeper level.
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| CityLab at UCLA's artistic logo |
Though the divide between the sciences and the arts is prominent, I feel that at UCLA and throughout the world, we can see the Third Culture beginning to arise. Scientists more and more are using art and animated videos to communicate their discoveries to the general public, and artists are using scientific theories and technology to create their artwork. I am excited to see what the future holds.
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| Scientists paint microbes onto Petri dishes to create beautiful art |
References:
Snow, C. P. Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.
Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web.
Higgins, Patricia J.. “Interviewing Iranian
Immigrant Parents and Adolescents”. Iranian Studies 37.4
(2004): 695–706. Web.
Unknown. Image of the American and Iranian flags merged together. Photograph. 2012. <http://www.politicspa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/U.S.-Iran.jpg>
Brockman, John. The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution. London: Simon and Schuster, 1996. Print.
CityLab at UCLA. Logo of CityLab at UCLA. Photograph. 2009. < http://static.wixstatic.com/media/f94d49_1e1e78cc6f88432f8fbff75bdd853741.jpg_srz_486_163_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz>
CNN. Scientists paint with bacteria to make art. Photograph. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/health/petri-dish-art-irpt/>
That is so great that you are able to see a Third Culture emerging and that you also are a part of it, especially in the City Lab club here at UCLA. It's interesting how there is this pull of two cultures in all aspects of your life and you are not letting it hold you back, but rather are integrating it in your identity!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your comparison between yourself as a third culture as being Iranian-American. I feel like in recent years, society has tried so hard to distinguish cultures making sure that anyone who is not from the United States, especially if you're from the Middle East, is emphasized heavily but your articulation and comparison between being a third culture Iranian American and finding a home at UCLA I found very beautiful. I also enjoyed your conclusion on how we can see that art and technology are increasingly valued in society.
ReplyDeleteI completely agreed with the constant dichotomies faced by your two ethnic cultures to begin with. I think it's interesting to bring awareness to who we are before we make any other assumptions and conclusions about other things in life. I feel the exact same way today. I not only grew up in a Mexican home, but a religious Mexican home. Within these two cultures, the idea of independence, that you first speak of, is highly present dilemma in my life right now too. I have commuted my four years to UCLA and this had made me face certain struggles such as being in traffic every single day. Such hassles could have been prevented had I lived on campus or have I gotten my own place, however, it is the loyalty to that culture of being at home and being responsible for one's family that keeps me in this hectic student commuting life. However, I am now facing the fact that I will be graduating and getting a full time job and should be moving out not only to avoid the hassles of commuting, but to also become independent. However my family doesn't see it that way. My family thinks it is still an act of rebellion and to them I should only move out if I am to be married. I see this conflict of cultures as the two cultures analyzed in class. Here are two cultures that are great as separate forms, but upon making them work together causes struggle and clash constantly. However, if endured and believed in, the outcomes are very unique and worth it.
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ReplyDeleteOne of my bestfriend's is an immigrant as well and she used to tell me how she felt torn in between both of her natural born culture and the American culture. She used to come to me for advice because it would just get so hard for her because how religious her natural culture was compared to thee one here. As of now, she knows how to balance them pretty well, but it's interesting to see how you feel about both of your cultures. Another note, i agree with your comment about the third culture rising. I feel it is much better to be apart of a third culture rather than just one of the "Two cultures".
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ReplyDeleteYou did a great job on combining personal experience as a UCLA student and the reading: "The Third Culture".And you have a clear description of your effort to understand both art and science at a deeper level by attending CityLab. As mentioned in the blog, you are a biology major and anthropology minor. I think you really put up a good example of reflecting the interaction of art and science.
DeleteIt is very interesting that you have had the opportunity to not only experience the dichotomy between your two cultures through growing up as an Iranian-American but also explore two very different majors at UCLA. Similarly, as an Economics and Biology major, I frequently travel between North and South campus and find myself constantly connecting the two subjects. Do you see yourself pursuing a career that potentially encompasses both majors and allows you to continue to emerge in the third culture, such as you do in City Lab? Do you see the gap between art and science closing due to the continuous evolution of our education system or do you believe that the gap will widen eventually and eliminate the idea of a third culture?
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ReplyDeleteHi Ava! Very interesting take on this all. I too am an Iranian-American, but I had noticed that distinction within my own life as I wrote my response to the question at hand. Moreover, I really appreciate your ability to not only put the idea of two cultures into a social atmosphere, like you do with the North and South UCLA campus, but take a step further and find a part of your campus that actively pushes those aspects together in the creation of a third culture through CityLab. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate that you also deviate from this idea that the Third Culture is specifically art created through technology and critiques of art using scientific means via literature in a sort of Arts, Science, and Art triangle. It is interesting to see a perspective like this, because I sort of felt the same that the Third Culture could be something different, as some writers posit in a bit of research I did as well. Do you happen to feel that there is one predominant Third Culture, though? I've been unable to find that myself, but your writing has led me to see some possibilities.