OUGD401. Context of Practice. Studio Task 3. Politics, Society, Culture & History.

Using the lists, statements and points of discussion introduced in the studio workshop as a starting point, write 4 short statements that summarise your individual positioning / opinions in relation to the following contexts:

Politics

in terms of political ideology, i would say that i lean towards the democratic socialist area. i believe in equality and fairness among everyone and that everyone is equal despite race, religion, age, sex etc. i believe that, while capitalism promotes some good ideals such as competition motivating technological advancement, there is too much disregard for the poor and those born into difficult socio-economic statuses. an increase in the tax levels seen in the uk (with a complementary reworking of the tax tiers into more income specific [higher for high level earners, lower for low level earners] bands) could reduce the level of income inequality and also promote economic growth while lowering the deficit due to the increase in tax revenue. i think that the uk benefit system would also benefit from this, along with a more in depth investigation into benefit clams so the system isnt taken advantage of.  

Society

i think that the idea of society is interesting. the fact that humanity is such an individual race that strives for sole recognition and success while, conversely, being the most connected and in touch race on the planet is strange but wonderful. i think the way different societies function based on social etiquette, expectations, roles, and culture is so interesting. especially when societal norms interlink or cross over between each other into one global society. i like to maintain a certain distance from the inner-most societal aspects because i think a lack of involvement enables me to notice new things and understand people further from a detached perspective. people watching is fantastic.

Culture

i think that culture is also a really interesting concept in that we, as areas, countries, and continents have developed lifestyles with recognisable, and varying, attributes based on the weather, geography, history, food, music etc. i think that it is important to learn about different cultures and their defining factors to expand your knowledge of the world in order to relate to and socialise with people from all around the world. i think that sometimes culture can be experienced or received in the wrong way and a lack of understanding of someone else's culture can cause fear or hatred. we can learn so much from each other and i think that some people just arent interested in the rest of the world, which is sad because we should be connected and each understood.

History

i have always studied history throughout my education and i think it is an extremely valuable and educational tool in understanding who we are, who other people are, our ancestors relationships with theirs, and how the world we live in today was shaped. i think that by discovering what events lead us to today we are more equipped to move into the future in terms of technology, inter-connectivity, and and intelligence. i think my interest in people today, and the fact that history allows us to study past civilisations and how those people operated, is why i like it so much.