Louis,
I would have to agree with Miguel on this. I do
not have any data to back me up, so I will only talk
about my impressions here. It seems that the mass
media, which is where many people seem to collect a
lot of their "knowledge", has become so thin in actual
contents that critical thinking is definitely not a
part of the experience of watching the news. All seems
to be emotions based. The angles taken on the news
reports are dramatic, sensitive, tragic, sad,
intense... but seldom analytical. When do reporters
actually ask real questions that seek real answers?
My wife and I never watch television at home. In fact,
we do not spend a dime on cable or satellite, and we
don't even have an antenae (why the television then?
Well, I have to admit to watching a rented movie here
and there...). We have the Internet, and if we are in
need of information, we can search for it, and get
multiple sources.
Talking with my students on a daily basis, I am struck
by the influence that the mass media seems to be
having on them. Not only do they spend (by their own
account) WAY too much time watching shows, they don't
go deeper in any of the issues presented to them. Can
we blame it on their young age? Perhaps. But they seem
to be in need of more models of inquisitiveness. I do
not want to blame it all on the mass media. Perhaps
this is a case of a simple correlation, and the
underlying cause is a shift in society in general. It
becomes a matter of the "chicken or the egg"; did
society lead to the current state of mass media, or is
it the other way around? Or is it something else?
Perhaps it is a consequence of this fashion we have to
seek instant gratification? Let's become Rich so we
don't have to work anymore... but hey, wait a minute!
Nobody ever said I'd have to start working in the
first place!
Regardless of the answer, the situation remains: it
seems that society (in general, not everyone) does not
seek to go very deep in terms of knowledge (one needs
to work to gather info). Just look at the US President
and government, and all that is going on right now.
Isn't somebody going to clue in that something seems
to be wrong there? Could someone use the term
Democraty more often, while at the same time being
more anti-democratic? (oops... I may expose myself to
an interogation for this one!)
Anyhow, just my thoughts for the day. I certainly do
not have the whole picture. But the part I see for now
is telling me that we need to keep stressing to our
students the value and importance of critical
thinking. Cheers to that!
Jean-Marc
--- Louis_Schmier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >
Miguel, society is anti-intellectual? That's a heck
> of an blanket and
> assumptive accusation on the whole of society. Does
> that include us?
> After all, we are a part of that society. Besides,
> I know a lot of Ph.D.s
> who can't write their way out of that proverbial
> paper bag.
>
>
> Make it a good day.
>
>
> --Louis--
>
>
> Louis Schmier
> www.therandomthoughts.com
> Department of History
> www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
> Valdosta State University
> Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /~\ /\
> /\
> (229-333-5947) /^\ / \ /
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> climb mountains, \ /^\
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> practice on mole hills" -\____
>
>
>
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