As Semester 1 gets to a close, I sense a gradual shift in my interests. Through Jen’s class assignments, I had the opportunity to delve into Meritocracy and Skill fetishisation, topics that have intrigued me since before enrollment. This has led me to question whether I should continue exploring this field as my final project. Then, I found myself concerned that the significant trend promoting pursuing personal interests, such as improving abilities and skills, may lead people to lose interest in societal matters.
(Capitalism encourages the maximisation of individuals’ profits, and the digitisation of education reduces physical contact with others. It seems we potentially diminishing our ability to cooperate with others.)
While I immerse myself in assignments, the brutal wars happen in the world. It makes me wonder, “What should I respect most?” though I want to believe that my studies will eventually contribute to peace.
After all, I’ve come to realise that I want to research how education can invoke an awareness of individuals being part of society and foster people to get involved with society more.
My current hypothesis to implement them includes:
– Increase the number of individuals who are satisfied with themselves and have the capacity to support others.
– Create opportunities for individuals to believe that making changes in society will make their own lives more comfortable.
– Nurture the experience of creating a society from an early age. (In the Danish school I attended, students were allowed to establish their own rules, fostering a habit of creating and maintaining a small community. I believe this contributes to Denmark’s high voter turnout.)
Fortunately, I have found a friend in Japan who shares a similar research interest, and we frequently have casual chats about the research. I have also scheduled a meeting with a PhD student researching citizenship, hoping to get some inspiration from our conversation.
📸 taken by me. Nature constantly changes as my interest does.
