Weining C. Chang Webcast : Read the Summary

Culture Self and Knowledge In the Post-Modern World

Contemporary psychologists believe that we construct knowledge by using an internal framework of meaning developed through daily interaction with the environment. This framework is anchored around the meaning of self. In the postmodern world, the culture, self, and knowledge connection becomes highly problematic. The frame of culture and one's self-identity, are undergoing continuous scrutiny and transformation. Giddens proposed that in the postmodern world, there is on the one hand globalization, but very much on the other hand a "sequestration of experiences". Increasingly, we define our self-identity within the limited experiences of our profession, be it in natural sciences, humanities or technology, each has its own worldview, a radically different paradigm. In order to have cross-disciplinary understanding, we need to fundamentally address the paradigm differences across these different disciplines. More importantly, we need, as educators, nurture the intellectually multicultural citizen, one who internalizes a hybrid of framework that encompasses both the science and technological world and the world of the humanities. Some universities, including our own, provide cross-disciplinary courses for their students. However, management and evaluation of these programs vary from one program to another. It is also very difficult to assess the effectiveness of such courses, as they address the long term development of the person and not the short term gain of knowledge and skills.