There is a big literature on stories, their construction and consumption. Much of the time, we take "stories" to mean fiction. In non-fiction, stories are often anecdotes, short examples or incidents known or encountered during communication or research. Over the past 20 years or so, the branch of research methods often called "qualitative research" has grown up and in some fields and research communities, has more respect than "quantitative methods" dealing more with numbers and analysis of large data sets.
At one time, it was assumed that those who could read and write and did so, had a special talent, much as we today think of a person who can draw well. During the last 300 years or so, that notion has changed into the basic assumption that everyone can learn to read and write and do math, the 3 R's. As recently as 1950, many of the countries of the world had an educational system, if they had one at all, that was built to educate only a small portion of the population. It is still the case that in many parts of the world, the government does not offer schooling to all citizens or only does so up to the end of elementary education, again the 3 R's and some exploration of history and science. Again, a basic assumption that few minds are capable of much knowledge and that society needs few such minds.
Wired magazine can be an embarrassment, with its ads aimed at young male fashionistos, but it has a fairly good view of the electronic/technical world. Its current cover shows a young Mexican schoolgirl instead of the latest hot electronic phone or computer. Why? Because she lives in a poor section of the country where children typically do poorly in school but this young lady got the highest math score in her entire country. Her teacher, Sergio Juarez Correa, his inspiration the TED talk prize winner Sugata Mitra, and a long line of Americans like John Dewey and John Holt and Ken Macrorie and many more in and out of our country are changing the picture of how education proceeds. Their approach and the fact of the internet are getting minds to levels unknown and previously thought to be unattainable.
If you want to see how minds are changing, you can also go to the other extreme, the senior citizens. I regularly participate in a local organization that arranges for presentations and field trips for retirees, for those with a free schedule who can attend talks at any hour of the day. A friend who lives in the world's semi-capital of Washington, D.C. was talking on the phone yesterday. She is preparing for her second trip to India and is no slouch when it comes to knowing the world and savoring its delights. She asked what I had been doing lately. I told her that in the last four days, I have attended presentations on
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The cultural impact of baseball
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Is globalization good for us?
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New successes in cardiac arrest survival
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Can Congress do anything right?
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Literacy needs in central Wisconsin
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
