Participating in a class such as World Issues has really impacted how I approach and think about issues. It is easy to hear about an issue, react based on if it is "bad" or good" and shelve it without much thought. Before this course, that is how I approached a lot of scenarios. This class has changed that for me. We spent a lot of time discussing with eachother, and I got to hear many different opinions from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs. Participating in discussions like this has helped me to realize that things are rarely as simple as "bad" or "good" and that there are different sides to every situation.
I used to think that if a situation was dire enough, someone else would act, someone more important could have more of an impact, and that one person can't change anything on their own. This is clearly not the case, as we have learned from various case studies. The exact opposite is true, actually, because without the starting point of one person taking a stand, a group would never form.
An aspect of this class that I will probably never forget is the political atmosphere we were immersed in. Before this class I knew the general principles that each party stood for, I knew what my parents believed in and voted based on, and I was looking to establish this for myself. It is very fitting that I turned 18 over the course of this year, and I was able to carefully take in a lot of what was debated on in class, forming my own opinion in the process. It was through this balance of listening and asking questions that I was able to feel informed enough to vote for the first time in a very memorable election.
I enjoyed reading your blog and liked that you talked about what you learned personally rather than what we learned about in class in general. World issues has also taught me that there are different sides to an issue that are essential to look at in order to fully understand the issue. I also agree that it is important to hear other peoples opinions and beliefs like we did in world issues class this year. I think this gave us a new perspective on the world we live in. I also liked that you mentioned that one person can make a difference and have an impact. In my opinion this was another important lesson we learned this year. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you were able to vote in this election and that you took advantage of the opportunity to learn about the election in world issues is awesome. I enjoyed your post as you talked about the impact that world issues has had on you, personally. You were very honest in your response which made this a great post.
ReplyDeleteA very good point Steph, we do tend to sometimes shrug off an issue as being good or bad without giving it much thought. While there is a right and wrong answer, it's complex to the point where getting anywhere close to it takes lots of thought, research, and discussion. This class helped with that.
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