Conceptual Frameworks and their Influence on Our Thinking
Summary
TLDRThe script explores the concept of meaning-making through cultural lenses and conceptual frameworks. It emphasizes that our understanding of experiences is not direct but filtered through unconscious interpretive lenses shaped by our cultural beliefs and values. The lecture illustrates how these frameworks, while essential for making sense of the world, can also limit our perspectives. It encourages recognizing the influence of culture on our worldview and the importance of being aware of the interpretive lenses through which we perceive reality.
Takeaways
- 📚 Meaning is not inherent in experiences or objects; it is derived through interpretive lenses or frames of reference.
- 🤔 We unconsciously use these interpretive lenses to make sense of the world around us.
- 🧠 The concept of 'lenses' is crucial for understanding self-knowledge and the true meaning of experiences.
- 🌐 Our worldview is shaped by a network of ideas, values, and beliefs, which form an interpretive lens through which we view the world.
- 👀 These conceptual frameworks, or schemas, act as filters for the information and experiences we encounter.
- 🚫 Conceptual frameworks can limit our perception by setting boundaries on what we see and understand.
- 🔍 Recognizing the role of culture in shaping our interpretive lenses allows us to appreciate different viewpoints and meanings.
- 🌟 Culture provides the common-sense frameworks that we rely on to interpret social norms and behaviors.
- 🔄 Conceptual frameworks are not static; they can evolve and change, leading to new interpretations and understandings.
- 🌱 The ability to recognize and question our interpretive lenses is essential for personal growth and a broader understanding of the world.
Q & A
What does John Stuart Mill's quote imply about the interpretation of experiences?
-John Stuart Mill's quote implies that most experiences are not self-explanatory and require a frame of reference or lens to derive meaning from them.
Why is it important to be conscious of the interpretive lens we use to understand the world?
-Being conscious of our interpretive lens is important because it helps us recognize that our understanding of the world is not objective but shaped by our cultural and personal beliefs.
What does the concept of 'infinity of traces' refer to in the context of self-knowledge?
-The 'infinity of traces' refers to the countless experiences and influences that contribute to our self-knowledge, many of which we may not be consciously aware of.
How does the meaning of an object or action become clear to us?
-The meaning of an object or action becomes clear through the cultural and personal lenses we apply, which provide a framework for interpretation.
What is meant by 'blooming buzzing confusion' in the context of perception?
-'Blooming buzzing confusion' is a term used by William James to describe the overwhelming and undifferentiated sensory input experienced by a newborn, illustrating the need for an interpretive lens to make sense of the world.
How does culture influence our interpretive lens?
-Culture provides us with shared values, beliefs, and norms that form the basis of our interpretive lens, shaping how we perceive and understand the world.
What is a conceptual framework and how does it affect our understanding of the world?
-A conceptual framework is a network of ideas, values, and beliefs that function as an interpretive lens, guiding how we perceive and make sense of the world.
What is the dual meaning of the term 'ideology' as it relates to conceptual frameworks?
-The term 'ideology' can refer to both a set of beliefs that shape our worldview and a distorted or misguided view of the world.
How does a conceptual framework limit our perception?
-A conceptual framework can limit our perception by setting boundaries on what we consider possible or meaningful, based on our cultural and personal beliefs.
Why is it beneficial to recognize that our interpretive inferences are conceptually mediated?
-Recognizing that our interpretive inferences are conceptually mediated allows us to understand that our views are not the only ones and can open us up to alternative perspectives.
What role does culture play in shaping our conceptual frameworks?
-Culture plays a significant role in shaping our conceptual frameworks by providing the shared beliefs, values, and norms that form the basis of our interpretive lenses.
Outlines
🔍 Interpreting the World Through Lenses
The paragraph discusses the idea that direct experiences are often not self-explanatory and require a frame of reference to derive meaning. It emphasizes that people unconsciously use these lenses to interpret the world around them. The concept of 'infinity of traces' is introduced to illustrate the vast amount of unnoticed information. The paragraph highlights the importance of understanding how we arrive at conclusions about the meaning of things, rather than assuming we see the world as it is. It uses examples like kneeling during the national anthem to show how different interpretations can exist based on the lens through which we view actions.
🎨 The Ambiguity of Meaning
This paragraph explores the notion that meaning is not inherent in objects or ideas but is instead ascribed by humans through their cultural beliefs and frameworks. It suggests that without cultural context, experiences would be a 'blooming buzzing confusion,' akin to a baby's initial perception of the world. The paragraph also touches on how different symbols, such as the American flag or Colin Kaepernick, take on clear meaning when viewed through a cultural lens. It argues that meaning is often a result of our conceptual framework, which is a set of beliefs and values that shape how we interpret the world.
🌐 Conceptual Frameworks and Worldviews
The final paragraph delves into the concept of a conceptual framework or worldview, which is described as an interpretive lens that helps us make sense of the world. It explains how these frameworks are composed of ideas, values, attitudes, and beliefs that we use to filter information and experiences. The paragraph discusses how these frameworks can both enable understanding and limit our perspective by setting boundaries on what we see. It also points out the importance of recognizing that our interpretive inferences are shaped by these frameworks, allowing for a more nuanced view of the world and an appreciation of different cultural lenses.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Meaning
💡Frame of Reference
💡Lens
💡Conceptual Framework
💡Worldview
💡Interpretive Lens
💡Cultural Lens
💡Ideology
💡Significance
💡Belief System
💡Ambiguity
Highlights
Few facts can tell their own story, requiring a frame of reference to derive meaning.
We unconsciously use lenses or frames of reference to make sense of the world.
The concept of the 'infinity of traces' is crucial for understanding self-knowledge.
Meaning is often not inherent but is ascribed by our cultural beliefs and frameworks.
Meaning is rarely contained in things; it's imbued by human beliefs and cultural context.
Perception without an interpretive lens leads to 'blooming buzzing confusion'.
Cultural frames of reference help us make sense of ambiguous experiences.
Meaning is often confidently ascribed to symbols like the American flag or public figures.
We view the world through unrecognized lenses that shape our interpretations.
Conceptual frameworks are like lenses that filter our experiences and information.
A conceptual framework is a network of ideas, values, and beliefs that shape our worldview.
Ideology can refer to both a framework for understanding and a potentially misguided view.
Conceptual frameworks set boundaries on what we see and understand.
Frameworks allow us to make sense of the world but can also limit our perspective.
Recognizing the role of culture in shaping our interpretive lenses is essential.
Understanding that our interpretive inferences are conceptually mediated can change our worldview.
Culture gives rise to frames of reference that guide our common sense and interpretations.
Transcripts
so as we just stated
as uh John Stuart Mill I think rightly
puts it very few facts are able to tell
their own story
so how do we
derive meaning or inscribe meaning from
the experiences that we undergo that
aren't as directly understood as
something as visceral and direct as a
knife through the hand or a physical
injury
to determine the meaning of something
which is to say again what it signifies
what it refers to what it indicates
to determine the meaning of something we
must Implement a frame of reference or a
lens to filter what we are experiencing
into discernible comprehendable
information now the issue here that I
want to make help you appreciate is that
we do this unconsciously and this is why
what crop she had to say about the
Infinity of traces
that do not leave an inventory is such
an important concept to grasping the
true meaning of self-knowledge we are
utilizing lenses frames of references to
make sense of the world in a simple way
to put it to make sense out of the world
except we're not necessarily doing it in
a conscious fashion
we often
believe we're seeing the world just as
it is that we're locating meaning in an
object in the idea in the behavior that
that there's no other way to understand
somebody kneeling during the national
anthem it's just disrespectful or that
there's no other way to understand
somebody taking a knee that it's just an
act of protest that has nothing to do
with you know the military and so on
that too often and I don't want to make
a false equivalent of competing points
of view on any given issue where there
may be one that has you know a more
accurate analysis but what I want to
make clear is that whatever one thinks
on a given topic what something
indicates what it means what it
signifies one needs to be able to
explain how they arrived at that
conclusion what's the what's the basis
of that point of view
rather than mistakenly believing that
we're just encountering the world
precisely
as it is the meaning of the stuff in the
world the meaning of the actions and the
all of all of the experiences we
encounter
and it's raw natural form
tend to be ambiguous
before we deploy the lens and I give you
this this painting here uh with the
artist credited at the bottom
because it gives us a sense of what
we would experience the world as without
culture without a frame of reference or
a lens provided to us by culture more on
that in a moment to help us make sense
of all this information
perception without an interpretive lens
experience without an interpretive lens
can categorizing this is a an event this
is a feeling this is a these are animals
and these are plants or this is hot and
this is called perception without an
interpretive lens would be akin to what
the the the psychologist William James
described as blooming buzzing confusion
a baby experiences upon entering the
world it would be a chaos of
undiscernable information it would just
be it would be noise it would be
um I think at least the way that one
might perceive uh what I think is
actually you know a a very interesting
stimulating and perhaps beautiful
painting but this painting is
very ambiguous and uh it no one would be
surprised if for example there were
multiple interpretations about what this
means about what it refers to about what
it signifies but if we replace this
image with for example the American flag
or Colin Kaepernick or a cow for that
matter or the battle flag of the
Confederacy suddenly there's a sense of
of confidence in what it means what it
refers to what it signifies and again
the reason is that we are viewing the
world through an often unrecognized lens
I could ask you what this means
not the question mark but those squiggle
lines there minus the background
Graphics you know what is that what does
it mean what is it refer to what does it
signify
maybe you say something like uh clearly
an untalented Professor uh attempting to
draw something uh and you might be right
about that but arguably we would say
this it doesn't really mean anything it
doesn't signify anything I don't know
what it indicates it doesn't look like
it it is anything in a way it would be
like this painting uh I mean except of
course a lot less attractive uh
obviously I'm not suggesting that you've
gotten by my artwork uh here but the
point is is that its meaning isn't
determined it's not distinct it's not
clear what it refers to
so here's the point
we often mistakenly believe we're seeing
meaning in an object in an idea in a
behavior
but meaning is rarely if ever contained
in the things of this world but rather
meaning is more often than not imbued
by human beings and our belief system
given to us through culture
it's imbued with meaning through its
relationship with other things so again
one doesn't make sense out of the
American flag or Colin Kaepernick taking
a knee or a cow or the battle flag of
the Confederacy without referring to
even if it's unconscious even if it's
rapid even if it's reactively we are re
we are referring to other ideas other
experiences other feelings other values
the meanings we infer about things in
the world are almost always produced by
our conceptual framework and here folks
we're getting to what I think is a
really important point the meanings we
infer which is to say the ideas we
conclude about
what we're experiencing and you know the
the meanings or the significa the
significance that we infer about the
world are shaped by our conceptual
framework by our worldview and what
exactly can we describe as a conceptual
framework or worldview a conceptual
framework is an invisible usually
network of of ideas values
attitudes
consciously or unconsciously held
beliefs that form an interpretive lens
an interpretive lens we use
to refer to
in order to make sense of the world it
functions as our frame of reference it's
our guideline it is it it is it is the
rubric by which we evaluate the world
the same way that you would expect a
professor to evaluate your term paper on
the basis of a provided rubric
so a conceptual framework can also be
simply described as a belief system as a
frame of reference anthropologists will
often refer to it as a as a schema
um
now conceptual Frameworks are often uh
also described as simply Ideology Now
ideology has the kind of dual meaning
where things get a little tricky
sometimes ideology is used to refer to
that which is so in other words we're
talking about the meaning here but that
ideology is used to refer to that which
is
are mistaken a mistaken or misguided or
or
um uh or or uh you know corrupted view
or vision of the world or world view but
but I just want to bring it to your
attention that the word ideology is
sometimes just used in the basic sense
the same way that we're using conceptual
framework or worldview so sociologist
Barbara Katz Rothman defines ideology as
the way a group looks at the world a way
of organizing or thinking about the
world she says that a given ideology
shapes the way you see the world and
consequently ideology shapes the way you
see yourself the way you experience your
own body and your life and that's
something for her wrote a lot about
um about things like childbirth and how
women experience childbirth and how so
much of how they experience childbirth
isn't just about how they experience
their bodies directly but that much of
the way they experience their bodies and
childbirth is mediated which is to say
shaped by the frames of reference
provided by ideology so
what the conceptual Frameworks do
philosopher Karen J Warren writes that
conceptual Frameworks explain shape and
reflect our view of ourselves and our
world
she writes that at any given time a
conceptual framework functions for an
individual as a finite lens a field of
vision in and through which information
and experiences are filtered as such
conceptual Frameworks set boundaries on
what one sees so on the one hand
conceptual Frameworks allow us
to make sense of the world I mean if we
didn't have the idea of chair and we
were born right at this very moment at
the very age that you now sit before
this screen or are listening to this
audio you were suddenly birthed into the
world miraculously and a chair was put
before you what would you do with it how
would you interact with it what would it
mean which is to say what would it
signify what it would refer to would you
understand it to be something you sit on
would it be a a weapon and by the way
what's a weapon and what does it mean to
sit I mean you have to recognize that so
much of what we take for granted so many
of the concepts that allow us to operate
in the world
are the result of human beings
creatively
making sense of this world and then
leaving behind as they pass and they
share that information and those
experience and ideas with those around
them and those who come after them that
we build up on those Concepts and then
we weave them into what we're calling a
conceptual framework into a general
Outlook that allows us to rapidly make
sense of the world in a way that if we
lacked this frame of reference if we
lack these conceptual Frameworks we
would have to essentially reinvent the
wheel all over again and so on the one
hand yes conceptual Frameworks can set
boundaries on what one sees it can
prevent us from for example if we look
through a lens which presumes the worst
about ourselves then we will fail to
appreciate our potentiality if we have a
narrow definition for example of what
intelligence is that is centered on
mathematic achievement and let's say
that we're not particularly good at math
then that conceptual framework would
prevent us from recognizing for example
our artistic talents as being an
indication or meaning that we are
intelligent in some way or it might set
boundaries on recognizing that our
interpersonal skills that we might have
are indicative of our intelligence and
are important and there and also
valuable so conceptual Frameworks on the
one hand allow us to see the world and
make sense of it but they can also set
boundaries
and therefore limit our ability to see
and really make full sense of the world
as well
recognizing that our interpretive
inferences the way that we arrive at a
conclusion on the basis
of something else we think we know
recognizing that our interpretive
inference is about the world are
conceptually mediated that they're
shaped by these these these ideas that
we refer to
enables us to recognize number one the
way we think about the world isn't the
only way to see things
foreign and this enables us to
appreciate the different lenses or
Frameworks
ideologies may change how we see things
may give us different meanings a
different sense of what things indicate
signify suggest
so here we have
the importance of recognizing
the role that culture plays culture
shapes and gives rise to to the frames
of reference concerning values and
beliefs and assumptions and practices
and Norms social norms
the very big common sense that so many
of us
describe as such and rely upon to make
sense of things like acts of protest or
or other behaviors we need to recognize
that these are not spontaneously
occurring insights they are from
conceptual Frameworks which are birthed
by culture
thank you
تصفح المزيد من مقاطع الفيديو ذات الصلة
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)