After reading the essays “The Myth of the Ant Queen”, “Project Classroom Makeover”, and “The Naked Citadel” by Steven Johnson, Cathy Davidson, and Susan Faludi, readers may have spotted that collective knowledge, different systems of organization, and the three terms identity, conformity and group mentality, are mentioned in their respective essays. Interestingly enough, these three completely different essays still have ideas that can work together to address a point: collective knowledge can greatly impact how effective multiple systems of organization can be in influencing an individual’s identity. After all, collaboration with others who have different knowledge and perspectives creates a sturdier foundation for a system of organization
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As previously mentioned, one’s identity can be shaped by his or her environment. Families, groups of rowdy friends, classrooms and so on are all settings in which the respective environments has the potential of transforming one’s identity transform over a period of time. Take Davidson’s argument that certain mental disabilities aren’t even disabilities at all for example. She argues that the “afflicted” just aren’t interested enough to focus on the material given to them, which is why ADD “isn’t a disability (a fixed biological or cognitive condition) but a disposition (susceptible to change depending on the environment). Keep the kids interested, and ADD goes away” (Davidson 62-63). Here, Davidson argues that the environment is so good at shaping who you are that it can even cause you to have symptoms pertaining to mental disabilities in certain cases. While that may be extreme in it of itself, the idea is that in the classroom, group mentalities might exist as a result of collaborative thinking. The classroom could have students pitch in all their ideas until the better ideas outlive the worse ideas being mentioned, therefore soon creating a compromise amongst the students. As a result, this compromise could lead to a situation of conformity in which the classroom …show more content…
Looking back, one can notice how the idea of nature vs. nurture plays a heavy role in this whole discussion. Is it the way that an individual is raised that establishes what kind of human being they will become? Is it the type of environment that is presented to said individual that takes a hold of him or her by the spine and shapes his or her identity like putty to the environment’s liking? While they are both interesting and fair questions, many should realize that they shouldn’t take sides on the importance of nature vs. nurture, for they are both important for an individual to grow and prosper in life. The way parents raise their child gives the child the primary skills needed later on to conform to the needs of their elementary school to. Also, the way the worker ants treat their newborns and how they provide for the colony easily influences the newborns to take up necessary roles. All in all, one shouldn’t be ignorant to the idea that the environment has an influence in the creation of identities, for we cannot prosper if we don’t adapt and conform to our environment’s needs. However, that’s not to say we can’t improve our environment through crowdsourcing on a more efficient system of organization, thereby establishing an
As previously mentioned, one’s identity can be shaped by his or her environment. Families, groups of rowdy friends, classrooms and so on are all settings in which the respective environments has the potential of transforming one’s identity transform over a period of time. Take Davidson’s argument that certain mental disabilities aren’t even disabilities at all for example. She argues that the “afflicted” just aren’t interested enough to focus on the material given to them, which is why ADD “isn’t a disability (a fixed biological or cognitive condition) but a disposition (susceptible to change depending on the environment). Keep the kids interested, and ADD goes away” (Davidson 62-63). Here, Davidson argues that the environment is so good at shaping who you are that it can even cause you to have symptoms pertaining to mental disabilities in certain cases. While that may be extreme in it of itself, the idea is that in the classroom, group mentalities might exist as a result of collaborative thinking. The classroom could have students pitch in all their ideas until the better ideas outlive the worse ideas being mentioned, therefore soon creating a compromise amongst the students. As a result, this compromise could lead to a situation of conformity in which the classroom …show more content…
Looking back, one can notice how the idea of nature vs. nurture plays a heavy role in this whole discussion. Is it the way that an individual is raised that establishes what kind of human being they will become? Is it the type of environment that is presented to said individual that takes a hold of him or her by the spine and shapes his or her identity like putty to the environment’s liking? While they are both interesting and fair questions, many should realize that they shouldn’t take sides on the importance of nature vs. nurture, for they are both important for an individual to grow and prosper in life. The way parents raise their child gives the child the primary skills needed later on to conform to the needs of their elementary school to. Also, the way the worker ants treat their newborns and how they provide for the colony easily influences the newborns to take up necessary roles. All in all, one shouldn’t be ignorant to the idea that the environment has an influence in the creation of identities, for we cannot prosper if we don’t adapt and conform to our environment’s needs. However, that’s not to say we can’t improve our environment through crowdsourcing on a more efficient system of organization, thereby establishing an