There is something about our own lives that is especially poignant to ourselves. Living in the interior of it, always seated at the front row, we experience our individual journey as special. Observing other individuals who are not us and often not comprehending them, we reckon our personhood is unique.
We live in a social and cultural milieu that encourages and compels this individualist mode of conceptualizing reality: individuals are unique, each person makes his or her own choices, chooses their own path. “In the end, it’s up to the individual”—this is a sensibility I’ve heard in many different contexts.
As a teacher of Sociology, this individualist lens is a core mental framework I work to undo when students come into my classroom. I do this not because I want to destroy young people’s sense of self-mastery or confidence, but because I want to build up their sense of social belonging and collective responsibility. It is crucial, when we live in society, to understand and appreciate that we are always connected to, shaped by, and impactful to others.
A useful example for illustrating how connected individuals are to others in society is our education system.
The well-known and repeatedly-told story about Singapore’s education system is that it is “world class” and a “meritocracy.” It has terrific infrastructure and is staffed by well-trained teachers; Singapore students do well in international tests; the education system recognizes and rewards individual “merit” and is thus an appropriate site where the country’s best and brightest are identified. Another story less well-known outside of Singapore but widely-known within it is that the education system is a tough one for children and parents—there is a lot of homework and testing; to cope or to do well, parents have to micro-manage and paid tutors outside of school have become increasingly necessary. A third story, gradually gaining attention, is that kids from low-income families are having a difficult time “keeping up” in the system and they need to be “levelled up.”
The individualist lens that so many of us view the world through leads us to make sense of the three stories this way: the education system is not perfect but ultimately rational and fair. There are some pitfalls and negative externalities, but this cannot be helped if Singapore wants to identify its best talent. Within what is essentially a fair system, people have to do what they have to do. They have to work hard and use their own resources, and there is a limit to what the system can do for the individual. If they succeed, it is a sign that they have done what is necessary and have merit; if they fail, it is because they have not done what is necessary. In the end, it is up to the individual.
More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2019/02/small-road-big-road-personal-roads.html
We live in a social and cultural milieu that encourages and compels this individualist mode of conceptualizing reality: individuals are unique, each person makes his or her own choices, chooses their own path. “In the end, it’s up to the individual”—this is a sensibility I’ve heard in many different contexts.
As a teacher of Sociology, this individualist lens is a core mental framework I work to undo when students come into my classroom. I do this not because I want to destroy young people’s sense of self-mastery or confidence, but because I want to build up their sense of social belonging and collective responsibility. It is crucial, when we live in society, to understand and appreciate that we are always connected to, shaped by, and impactful to others.
A useful example for illustrating how connected individuals are to others in society is our education system.
The well-known and repeatedly-told story about Singapore’s education system is that it is “world class” and a “meritocracy.” It has terrific infrastructure and is staffed by well-trained teachers; Singapore students do well in international tests; the education system recognizes and rewards individual “merit” and is thus an appropriate site where the country’s best and brightest are identified. Another story less well-known outside of Singapore but widely-known within it is that the education system is a tough one for children and parents—there is a lot of homework and testing; to cope or to do well, parents have to micro-manage and paid tutors outside of school have become increasingly necessary. A third story, gradually gaining attention, is that kids from low-income families are having a difficult time “keeping up” in the system and they need to be “levelled up.”
The individualist lens that so many of us view the world through leads us to make sense of the three stories this way: the education system is not perfect but ultimately rational and fair. There are some pitfalls and negative externalities, but this cannot be helped if Singapore wants to identify its best talent. Within what is essentially a fair system, people have to do what they have to do. They have to work hard and use their own resources, and there is a limit to what the system can do for the individual. If they succeed, it is a sign that they have done what is necessary and have merit; if they fail, it is because they have not done what is necessary. In the end, it is up to the individual.
More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2019/02/small-road-big-road-personal-roads.html
