Sunday, March 29, 2009

A Whole New Mind- Will Right Brainers Really Rule the Future?

Three forces are tilting the scales in favor of Right brain thinkers.

1.Abundance has satisfied and over satisfied the material needs of millions boosting the significance of beauty and emotion and accelerated the individual's search for meaning.

2.Asia is now performing large amounts of routine white collar, Left brained work at significantly lower costs thereby forcing knowledge workers in the advanced world to master abilities that can’t be shipped overseas.

3.Automation has begun to effect this generation’s white collar workers in much the same way it did last generation’s blue collar workers requiring L-directed professionals to develop aptitudes that computers can’t do better, stronger, or faster.

Are the creative industries booming? (Hollywood, fashion designers, Industrial designers, artists, etc. Are their jobs in jeopardy?

Is the MFA (Master of Fine Arts) the new MBA (Master of Business Administration) Check out the article.
http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2008/04/the_mfa_is_the_new_mba.html

41 comments:

Katy Gunn said...

Katy Gunn - Team 10

America must find a way to balance the monetary logic of outsourcing jobs and the logic of its long-term effects on the economy. This may take a creative reworking of the business sector, a task best suited to right-brain workers who have, before now, had no place there. I don't know if I would say that the answer to improving the economy exists solely "in the right brain," because left-brain skills will still be needed to implement changes. I think that by working together, left-brain and right-brain workers can bring together logic and creative thinking in order to solve any problem, including the problems posed by outsourcing in America today. For this reason, education should attempt to foster both types of thinking rather than focusing on improvement of right-brain skills alone.
My major, English, is one that cultivates right-brain thinking almost exclusively. However, some left-brain skills (grammar, logical arrangement of ideas, etc.) are necessary as well. The predominant job opportunities in my field, teaching, are under little risk of outsourcing, because they most often depend on face-to-face communication and deep understanding of English and American culture, two factors that should keep them on the continent. Other job opportunities, especially technical writing, are easier to outsource and may be harder to find in years to come. However, "creative" English jobs (fiction/poetry writing, etc.) have historically stayed where they rose, and because there is no steady demand for the products produced by these jobs, they have never been and will probably never be outsourced. Only time will tell whether the MFA in English is the new MBA, but wouldn't mind if that were true, as the MFA is my plan for the next three years!

Jane Doe said...

Beth Thompson Team 15
We have got to start teaching people to think with both the right and the left brain. Our brains are so powerful and knowledgeable; we just have to learn to use both sides equally to help us be well-rounded individuals. I think the younger people are when they are taught to use both sides is the best because once you classify yourself as a “left brain person” or “right brain person” it is very hard to tap into the other side. I think we get used to using one side or the other and never give the other side any work, which makes it even harder to use when you need or want to. I have always thought of myself as a “left brain person” and I have a really hard time opening my right brain up and getting creative. I think we must learn to use our left brains with our right brains to make the best of this situation. Computers are great and get a lot done but they can’t give you the same output as when you use your imagination and creativity. My major is accounting and of course, that is a left brain directed career and I hope that once I get my degree, all the accounting jobs have not been outsourced to Asia.

Anonymous said...

Tiandra Wellman, Team 13

I enjoyed reading the powerpoint "A Whole New Mind-Will Right Brainers Really Rule the Future?" At first as I was reading the powerpoint, I was not understanding the point of the powerpoint. I kept asking myself "why do they keep talking about the left brain and all that it does and India, instead of talking about the right brain and what it does. Now I understand that what they were explaining. They were basically stating that technology has become the left brain and that humans no longer need to think on that particular level because we now have machines that do it for us. But we now must use our right brain more because that is our creative side and computers can not be cretive. That is the understanding I recieved from reading the powepoint.

Amber Anderson said...

Amber Anderson Team 13

The powerpoint made me realize that America has allowed computers and technology to take the place of the left brain in humans. America is also send alot of its jobs that require thinking skills over seas because the people their can do the same jobs for less pay. That is why it is necessary for American to become in touch with their creative side. A persons creativity can not be shipped over seas. People are also starting to become more into creativity and the appearance of things. That is way the right side of the brain is becoming much important than the left.

Anonymous said...

Cody Sipsy - Team 5

I disagree. I don't believe that anyone has "catered" to left-brained people. Throughout the last 50 or so odd years (especially) artistic, creatively-motivated people have felt repressed for the injustice of "the man" trying to hold them down. I understand this anger, since the economy doesn't exactly lend itself to musicians, painters, or writers these days. I know. I'm a musician and have been for almost ten years. But, creative people have an enormous place in the business world as well as the artistic. Without doubt, we need creative people to come up with new and improved ideas both in business and in the arts. Right-brained people chose their path and can walk it just as easily.

That being said, the answer to the economic crisis (which I don't personally think Barack Obama has been doing a passable job of finding) certainly lies in the minds of the creative. We need a revolution, and a revolution requires a revolutionary way of thinking. Our current situation, however, gives a good opportunity for competitive business, which is a healthy thing. Overall, we need both sides to be a part of the solution.

I am an I.T. major who plays guitar, piano, drums, sings and has virtually all artistic friends. So I am a fair example from both sides.

Chap said...

America needs to teach the arts as much as it teaches everything else. It is equally important. In schools, art of any kind is not even required anymore, it's a choice. I think all students in all grades of school need to learn 50% art 50% logic.

I don't think it's created a monster, because the kids who do excel at art do have the option to pursue it, but the others need more of it than they get. I also think that we still need those left brainers, going completely right brained would be chaos in this society. There just need to be more balance.

No, the answer isn't in the right brain. It's just a normal downfall that happens every 30 years, it will rise again, it is just the way our free market does. It can only fix itself, government cannot fix it. If government tried to take it over, we would have socialism.

My major is interior design which has a good balance (for me) of a little bit of logic, lot of people skills, and a ton of artistic ability. (plus i can sell my own artwork to put in the homes) I think it will give me an edge to love what I do. It isn't something that everybody needs, but when the economy gets better people will want that again.

Chapple Chandler
Team 1

Emily's Intro to Art said...

Emily Byron- Team 6
The PowerPoint about, "A Whole New Mind" was very interesting. So much of America has adopted to the regular everyday life of going to work, sitting at a computer all day and doing practically nothing. It's so easy to do work now-a-days because we have all these different machines to do the work for us. Instead of using our "right brain" to try and come up with different ways to get the work done.
I think that if someone has the drive to be more in-tune with the "left brain" ways of life thats great for them. But in schools the school systems should teach an equal amount of "right brain" activity as well, for those that aren't interested in the "left brain" form of work.
The "right brain" does not hold all the answers and no the "left brain" is not going to take over. A lot of people with more "right brain" capacity will eventually come about again.
My major is dental hygiene. It involves a lot of "left brain" work when your in school memorizing all the different instruments and such. It also has a lot to do with people skills. You can't be putting your hands in someones mouth without a certain form of trust in the issue.

Reynard VanTonder said...

Reynard Van Tonder
Team 4

In all fairness, America in itself can’t rectify this problem. However, in the study of economics one becomes aware of the concept of equilibrium which states that everything will become equal sometime in the future. We can only justify a left orientated society due to the capitalistic nature which makes up most of the left brain industry. I think the solution to America’s economy lies in the fact that both the left and right side of the brain need to work together. One can think of it as, one hand washing the other because no hand can wash itself. The most important shift that is taking place in America right now is the emergence of international collaboration. This is extremely important with regard to balancing out global strategies with impacts just about every country. I am an accounting major, which heavily relies on the left brain. I believe that in today’s society accounts are needed more than every due to the fact that everything needs to be properly accounted for. With regard to that changing atmosphere in America I think my future as an account is quite safe, especially with the emergence new laws and regulations which will govern the left or right brain orientated industries.

Shannon Rollins - Team 15 said...

Americans need to utilize both sides of the brain to keep up. Most people have a hard time even uses the "other" side of their brain once they have found what they are most comfortable with. The challeng is to do what is uncomfortable to open your herizons. To quote the old cliche, "no pain, no gain". Also, i believe that people are becoming too smart for their own good. Why would you invent a machine to do your job? Sure, it may be cheaper, but now you're unemployed. It's just not smart. Someone should make a stand to put people back in the work place.

Blog Blog Blog said...

Jeremy Harris- TEAM 15

It appears that the American society followed the right brain mentality. Pushing the work to cheaper locations is exactly how the corporate world thinks. Fixing the right brain thinking would have to start from the President and his cabinet to help control the jobs from being pushed elsewhere. In my major of accounting, this is exactly a part of it, trying to reduce the bottom line and create a higher profit margin. I will seriously be looking at this when I reach a position of decision. When it stays in America, it’s made in America.

Danielle Allegood said...

the powerpoint on A Whole New Mind was interesting and something I have not thought about. i think that technology plays a huge role in our everyday tasks at school and in the work place. Not to long ago I saw on Fox News that they were debating on not teaching cursive writing to young students because today we use the computer for everything and that we hardly write anymore. Having computers do everything for us has made us lazy. I do not think that the right brained thinkers will rule the world but I think that it is important that left and right brain workers come together to solve issues. Not only should we come together to work out problems but we all should try to use both sides of our brains. With that said it is up to both to help solve our economic crisis. We need both logic and creativity to help work out our economic crisis because what our current administation (Obama) is doing is not helping at all but making it worse.

Danielle Allegood - Team 2

Erica McCullough said...

Erica McCullough
Team 6

The right-brain way of thinking is just as important as the left-brain way of thinking. A computer cannot do everything for us as Americans because they lack the individuality creativity and imagination we as all humans were born with. But it is also impossible to just live and succeed through only the right-brain as well. There must be a balance of both in order to prosper in the business world. Like the powerpoint said, no product can be sold in the stores unless it is aesthetically pleasing as well as useful. For girls this is especially true. Everything from our cars to our phones have to be decorated as well as useful. All jobs require both sides of the brain to function, too. Even the computer genius's have to bring some form of uniqueness or individuality to their works and projects to make themselves stand out, be noticed, and get promoted. Davinci was a great example of a balance between right and left brained ways of thinking. He was an exceptionally intelligent scientist who was also one of the greatest painters and sculptors of world history. More of the right-brained ways of thinking is beginning to stand out a lot more nowadays in society though because businesses as well as all consumers are looking for the most aesthetically pleasing products out there to buy. It is really stupid of our society to start getting rid of music and art programs in schools when it's teaching kids how to use their imagination and roll with it. These skills are just as important as any math or science skills. Talents should be appreciated whether they be with a computer or a paintbrush. They could be combined into amazing intellectual artworks that help bring attention to all parts of the brain.

Virginia said...

Virginia Thompson-team 9

America Has Created an eniviroment that is conforable to left brain thinkers only. Creating tests and right/wrong answers isn't a bad thing but we should also have jobs pretaining to right brain thinks too. If America is taught to use right and left brain -- there could be so much more opportunities for our USA today. My major is Business Management minnor accounting but I'd really like a career dealing with creativity -- not just a boring old office to get a paycheck weekly. It's nice and everything but is that what I live for? Everything will effect America.

ChRiStI HaRtSoUgH said...

Christi Hartsough - Team Three

I think America should enforce more right-brained thinking into classrooms. Its initially become more and more important in todays society.
I don't neceassarily think we have catered to left brain thinking nor has it created a "monster" but I do think it has been overly emphasized in the workplace, school systems and society, though it is vital.
Its possible that right brain thinking could solve the economy problems we face now. Look were typical left brain has gotten us so far and with more and more computers out there outnumbering and outsmarting those left brain thinkers we have to turn to those who think outside the box.
America has definitely let itself go sorta speak. We have concentrated to heavliy on precision, time, money, and uniformity.
I major in Early Childhood Edu. and I think this theory could somewhat effect my future as a teacher but there will always be a need for teachers. But, on the defending side of the powerpoint my job could potentially get taken over by computers.

Kenny said...

I found this to be an eye opener. As a computer science major I have always known in the back of my mind that a lot of the jobs in my field were being outsourced. I did not realize the full extent of it until I read the power point. I personally use a lot of my right brain anyway and have also always been creative in that respect, it might be time for me to seriously consider a change in my major. Maybe something still related but more to the right brain side...say something like computer art design?
Speaking of which, I was shocked to see exactly how many of the products we Americans use everyday that must be functional as well as artist. Functional art very well be the wave of the future, so yeah can see how an Art degree could be the next MBA. The only question looming in the back of my mind is what happens when we start outsourcing those jobs too. Are we one day going to loose our creativity as well?

Michael Allison- Team 2 said...

There are many jobs and careers in America that have to do with left brain thinkers. I do not really think that we have been favoring the left brain thinkers, although the way everything is going in America with the economy and jobs I really do believe that we need to start trying to balance everything out. It will be very important as well as helpful for the U.S. to teach left brain skills as well as right brain skills in our school systems. I would consider myself a left-brain thinker and I think that if I would have had some education of the right-brain it would have helped me be more creative in different areas. Though I think this is a problem that needs to be worked on I do not think it is going to cause major chaos.

FoolProofPuma said...

John Thomas Saunders
Team 4

A Whole New Mind

I think America should just hold on. Because there will always be fluctuations in what’s going on out in the world. Yes our left side dominated thinking jobs are being outsourced but they will one day be back because the countries they are going to will eventually require hirer wages and it will not be profitable to keep employing them versus people here. So no, catering to the left side of our brains has not created a monster that wouldn’t have occurred anyway. Having jobs that are right brain oriented would help the job availability and be good for the whole world really. The more creative we are the less limitations there will be to hold use back from discoveries and inventions and such things. I think America should hold tight and in the mean time do our thing because if we get to caught up with one thing we will over compensate letting other things slack. The stats of outsourcing professional’s jobs is estimated to be 200,000 each year for the next 11 years. My major is Finance and this may affect me but this is America, the land of opportunity, there will always be something out there that you could tern to I think.

Some Finance Jobs
Portfolio Valuation Director
Restructuring Director
Financial Engineering Vice President
Marketing Manager
Dispute Consulting Director
Transaction Opinion Analyst

Anonymous said...

Darius Jackson- Team 12 I am a business major and i feel the "right brain" may provide solutions that will allow the "left brain" to thrive once again, but I will never believe or accept that the "right brain" is the on solution to improving the economy. I simply believe it will take a joint effort from both sides to reach a level of security never seen by the world. I do believe the starts in our education system. Society needs to encourage the use of both sections of the brain. If teachers can encourage this in the students of today a new broader way of thinking will develop. Who knows if this is the answer but our current state is most certainely not the answer.

itaylor2 said...

Irene Taylor team 7

The powerpont has made me realize in this day and age, we relie entirely too much on computers to do our work for us. Before the technology era. left brain was used more. I believe we should combine both left and right sided part of your brain. My major is Accounting and that involves using the left side of my brain. But with today's outsourcing of jobs i need to use the creative side of my brain.

Sherita Future Star said...

Sherita Bolden team -9



I really like this article, mainly because i know that im more on the creative side than i am technical. When I was choosing a major it felt bad cause a lot of my friends choose engineering, computer science, law, or business. Basically all those majors that people always say will be successful and bring in a good income. But in my heart I knew that these things would not satisfy me and that i had to do film and work with movies. So this article helped me to feel assured that it will be those creative majors that will be in demand.
This article is so true. Especially how it stated that back in the day, everybody praised the left brain people. My mother and i had a discussion and she said back when she was In school everybody pressure her to do business, or education. Those were the majors everybody said that you could make a lot of money off of. But my mom really wanted to be a photography, something that was not really considered a stable job but more of an hobby. Till this day she wishes that she would have followed her heart and pursued and art degree.
I understand that this article is not stating that there not be a need for the left brain, but its saying that left brian people should start paying more attention to their creative side and the arts so that they can stand out more.

Morgan said...

I think that America should force every working individual to use their right and left brain. The technology that has been invented in the past few decades have allowed people to not use their logical thinking as much as they should. I think that people convince themselves whether they are "right-brained" or "left-brained" and they ignore the other half and do not attempt any use of it. The technology that has allowed us to function everyday has cause us to no longer use the creative sides of our brain to figure things out.

My major is business management and depending on what section of business I will enter, it could be affected. I will definitely have to use my right-brain to be creative and thing of interesting ways to do things, but also use the logical side of my brain to get things accomplished.

Neisha Vernon said...

Neisha Vernon-Group 4

I think the use of both the right brain and the left-brain is extremely important. Job requirement are constantly changing putting more emphasis on the creative aspects instead of just the functional. Left-brain jobs can be easily outsourced making job security in those positions minimal. On the other hand, there are those jobs such as Accounting and Finance, which will always be necessary no matter what changes occur in the job market. Most people focus on developing one aspect of the brain whether left or right and focus little attention to the development of the other. This may have worked in the past, but it is now becoming necessary for both to be equally developed.
I am a management of Information Systems major, which means I will rely on both left-brain and right brain in order to be successful in my field. I think the right brainers’ will rule for a while but there will be a point in time where the need for both is balanced.

Amanda Shrewsbury said...

Major corporations choosing to outsource jobs to other countries is a serious problem in our country. I work for a corporation which receives large shipments every day from China, and precious little that is made in America. This angers me, and something needs to be done about it. I am not sure, though, that encouraging the population to pursue "right brained" jobs is a viable solution. Just as there is a flood of left brainers in the workplace, there might be a flood of right brainers in the future. Although design and beauty are booming industries now, consumers can only support a limited number of artists. A balance of both sides of the brain is critical for advancement in many jobs out there. Even accountants need creative leaders now and then. We should be taught in school to take advangage of our powerful right brains, but not discouraged from the jobs we want, even if it is finance or computer science. But we might have to consider following that job to Hong Kong.

Sterlin89 said...

Sterling Walker- Team 8

After viewing the powerpoint it seemed to me as though America is setting the students in school for failure in the new-age workfield. I say this because while in school most students are taught left-brain things and are tested on how well they are able to use it. This to me is a problem because with the new technology increasing everyday, there will be no need for people who are only left-brained, because there are computers out there that can do it a lot faster and ofcourse cheaper. So in order to be successful in today's economy people will need to be able to use both parts of their brain effectively.

our team said...

Derek van Linden
Team 9
Well the way I see it America since middle school has attempted to rid of all creativity in us. So it's not that surprising the way skill we need to embrace has been cast out. I haven't lost touch with right side of my brain and my major is business marketing maybe but definitely some thing international. So I don't think that my job could be outsourced.

smille14 said...

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Stephanie Miller Art Class

Friday, April 3, 2009
A Whole New Mind
I feel that at this point in the game America's only option is to keep moving forward. On one of the slides the teacher mentions that one of the main oppositions hold right brain thinkers from their greatest potential is the standardized test. In order to make this more acceptable to people of both thinking mentalities I feel that another portion should be added to certain tests that are able to prove that right brain thinkers are just as capable as their counterparts. I feel that caterin to the left brain thinker has not created a monster. All of those people who are successful right brain people are successful in the areas that suit them most. One wouldn't have a rightbrain thinker creating a standardized test or doing neurosurgery because there is no room for creativity in such intances, but if you are looking at those who are for instance, an art teacher or even those who are creating computer games then a right brain thinker is more suited for such a job. The current school system is helping to equip all of the student in the "Knowledge Worker" field. While there aren't too many classes that cater to the students who just so happen to think outside of the box that doesn't mean that the whold education system should be revamped.
From reading the powerpoint presentation I still don't grasp how the downfall of the economy is due to the leading of the left brain thinkers. You blame a portion of the problem on abundance, when has an abundance ever been a bad thing. The teacher makes a claim that in order for one to succeed in today market a product must be aesthetically pleasing. Now if one were to think about this, a. wouldn't the design of the product be left at the hands of a right brain thinker anyways and b. if the market was in fact dominated by right brain thinkers wouldn't this problem be significantly worse? Until I read this Power point I had never recognized a problem with America being ran by the left brain thinkers. While I understand the concept that outsourcing is a problem due to the lack of jobs I still don't see how that is the fault of the Left Brain. This power point does a horrible job in explain the concepts that it presents. It gives a bunch of irrelevant details and facts that to me are completely insignificant and leave me with more questions that answers.
I intend to be a High School English or Spanish teacher and because of this I do not have a fear that I will be able to find a job. I don't think that if the "Right Brain" thinkers were in the high positions that the country would be in a different position or if they would be capable of pulling America out of the rut that it is currently in.

Jason Sizemore said...

jason sizemore
team 11

The powerpoint made me realize that America has allowed computers and technology to take the place of the left brain in humans. The slide show also opened my eyes to the issues surrounding the economy. This issue, and others like it, such as job out sourcing and corperations going belly up will affect my generation as we move into the work force.

Taylor Withrow Team 1 said...

I enjoyed the powerpoint "A Whole New Mind-Will Right Brainers Really Rule the Future?" In the powerpoint it talks about how computers are taking over the left brains of most people. I agree with this because it really limits us on using our left brain to think creativley. People need to be pushed in school and work to use their creative side of their brian more and more. Taylor Withrow Team 1

Anonymous said...

Wynn Copeland, team 11.

Americans can do one of two things about the problem of being replaced by Asians or machines. either lose their job and find something less fruitful to do or learn how to do their job better than an asian or a machine. The problem with left brain jobs is that the left brain has no personality, or style or imagination. it is so easy to recreate the left brain that there seems to be no reason to keep paying expensive americans. And i do think that this is a "monster". The right brain keeps things interesting and exiting. It is interesting and exiting that makes the money. So therefore, with intersting and exiting Americans making products and sevices more attractive to consumers, the move to asia and machines is less apt to occur. The problem with this theory is that not every american employee is interesting or exiting and exeeds the attraction of asians and machines. Myself, being a business major, is at risk of falling victim to this pattern, unless i can prove to be a better salesman or manager with a pizzaz that an inexpensive telemarketer or an automated message can't live up to.

Mwanaidi Mungai said...

Mwanaidi Mungai......TEAM 8

The powerpoint really states the truth. In todays world technology seems to rule over the world. When you call somewhere nowadays there is no human at the other end meaning that the some computerized thing is taking the place of humans.If i would categorize myself as either right brain or lest brain, i would say i am right brain. I am not creative at all but reading the powerpoint i started to realize for me to be the best that i can be i need to be both.

Anonymous said...

Charlie Bacon
Team One

I think the powerpoint is very interesting. You dont realize living in America that a task that we do can be done a whole lot cheaper in almost every country. the fact that other people can do the same task for cheaper is going to require Americans to bring somthing else to the table. This is where our right brain thinking is going to have to give us an advantage. Our society seems to have gotten stuck on the idea that if you make good grades your going to make good money but thats not always the case.

Scott said...

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is hard for me to rationalize that the world will, someday, be ruled by right brained individuals. The author states that the MFAs are the new MBAs. What?
Although the rise of design in business is evident and beneficent, if MFA’s are working at the management and executive levels of today's top corporations, it’s simply to complement the many left brain dominate individuals, not to replace them. I believe that there is definitely a need for right brain dominant individuals, but I doubt they would be proficient at all of the different core business functions necessary to operate a business meritoriously. We simply need and must have a balance of both right and left brain dominate individuals to achieve balance in the workplace, home and daily lives. Balance!

DON'T CHANGE YOUR MAJOR. Educate yourself in what you love and you will love what you have studied. If you have a passion for your love/major, you will be successful in your field.

Scott Allums - Team 10

pokin smot said...

The powerpoint on A Whole New Mind was interesting and something that i have actually recently learned about last semester in psychology. I think that technology plays a large part in our everyday tasks at school and in the work place. Not to long ago I saw on report that someone did one Fox News that they were debating on not teaching cursive writing to young students. This is crazy because everyone needs to learn all styles of writing and not haveing to depend on computers to do everthing for us. Having computers do everything for us has made the human society lazy. I do not think that the right brained thinkers will rule the world but I think that it is important that left and right brain workers come together to solve issues. If we can come together then we can some how figure out away to make people start to think with both sides of the brain equally. This means that we are going to need to work together so we can solve this economic struggle. We need both logic and creativity to help work out our economic crisis which is going to come from people of both left brained and right brained.

DAVID MCCLESKEY
ART TEAM 11**

~ashe~ said...

E. Ashley Wilson - Team 15


This is crazy. I don't care what all computers can do. They may be able to perform surgery but they can't look down your throat, talk to you about symptoms... interact with you the way your family practitioner does. They don't know all your medical history and even if they did they can't look at you and give you the personal type answers most seek when going to the doctor. I don't know one person that would want a computer for a doctor. As far as lawyers are concerned... A computer cannot do this. It cannot talk with a client, and prepare an opening statement or defense with emotion involved. As far as the outsourcing goes, this is something that has bothered me for quite some time. I used to be a Systems Analyst for an IHP and I remember when there was talks to outsource tech support to India. I left the company before that happened, but one thing I did say is that we would lose alot of customers. I hate more than anything calling Dell for instance, you get some Indian speaking person with an American name that doesn't understand what the hell you are saying. They have generic responses and when you ask questions you NEVER get the right answer. The next PC I buy will NOT be a Dell for this very reason. I think what America needs to do is stand up, and let their voices be heard. We are in a crisis right now with unemployment. All these companies that outsource to overseas, should have massive taxes and penalties for not keeping the jobs here in America. They shouldn't get any tax breaks, be able to right anything off, get NO GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE WHAT SO EVER! I don't care how cheap labor is in India. If most of Americans are without a job, no one will be able to buy the stupid product that has customer service or tech support that is being outsourced to India. If you keep the work here, more people have jobs, more people have money to spend.

I've thought about this for awhile and I don't think the answer is for right brained people to solve the economy problem. Granted, I am sure they could offer a unique and way different approach to solving it... But I think that Obama is doing a great job at it as of current. He is going out in the world trying to unite everyone and solve this global issue. The economy worldwide is being affected and his approach will work. If I didn't think he had the answers I wouldn't have voted for him. We need to give him time and he will prevail. He definitely needs to tax the hell out of companies that outsource jobs though. :) As far as it affecting my major... it doesn't. My major is early childhood education. I don't care how smart computers are. They will never have the personal interaction, sympathy, understanding, emotional aspect, the patience, nor the dedication... all the things that children need...

Zavier Hall's Blog said...

Zavier Hall - Team 8

Americans that have been braind to use only the left side of there brain need to open up to the right side to better fit into the change the world is going through. Using only one side of the human mind simply makes it harder to understand how to fully use the other half. I think the answer is in the right brain since using the left brain dosent seem to be helping the economy at this point. If we use our creativity to come up with different and new products to sell we may be able to make a change. My finance and at this rate im going to have to change if i plan on having a job when i graduate. The only thing Ive noticed happening in america is the spending of vast amounts of money when we need money.

Amanda's Individual Intro to Art Blog said...

I believe that people are out there who bring both halves to the table. I like to think that I'm one of them. I know that I have skills in many different areas and I happen to be working towards two degrees that will work those skills. One is a BS in Nursing, the other is a BA in Mass Communications. I plan to achieve my nursing degree and take it as far as I can (Masters, Doctorate) and work for the federal government... that's where my Mass Comm comes in... with my working at the forefront for the government, I need to be able to handle PR. And I plan to. I do so now.


With that said, I do believe that there is a boom in creative industries, but for how long will that last? I heard a report just today that the only two real fields hiring are in education and in the medical field. I didn't hear them mention creating cartoons, clothing, computer games... see where I'm going? I do think that their jobs are in jeopardy for those able to work. The SAG strikes hit the industry hard just last year, Writers Guild as well. And now with the economy in the shape it's in, there is talk about scaling back on awards shows, tv shows... no one is safe.


The MFA might be appealing and I think that works for some. And that's great, but like a group member of mine stated, computers are not the new human. We still need people to be people. We still need the realness of touch and compassion.


Amanda Smith, Team Fifteen

Priya Shukla said...

After watching this powerpoint,it is very difficult for me to grasp this type of concept because I can't help but think that the deterioration of America is beginning.Given the fact that my parents were born and raised in India and the fact that I am an Indian makes me realize that my race has a major advantage in the world right now. The currency in India is referred to as Rupies and every 44 Rupies(Indian currency or money) equals 1 U.S. dollar. So just like the powerpoint said, people in India are getting the same amount of education and learning the same material at a lower cost, thus resulting in India a more knowledgable country. It blows my mind thinking about the fact that in less than 20 years, America will most likely be an inferior country in this world and will certainly NOT be the most wealthy country. This powerpoint was very interesting and intriguing in my opinion. However, I am very knowlegable of psychology and emotional intellect and I believe that without both parts of the brain operating together, a person cannot think in a proper logical whole. I think that it is likely that left brainers will rule the world in the near future, but I believe that right brainers have a more intellectual perspective that is necessary to be successful in this world today. I'm glad you have made this an assinment because I think this is probably one of the most interesting things we have learned in this class all semester.


Priya Shukla- Team 11

~ashe~ said...
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Jenny's Individual Intro to Art Blog said...

Jenny Parker: Team 15 (Ashley was still logged in, I am at her house doing this)

This assignment has my mind going in several different directions. The questions proposed are those of economics, but my focus, in this assignment, is art. Is economics art? No! My major? Middle grade education! Here I go off topic! In high school, I was great with numbers. Numbers made sense! Accounting or Business Finance was the direction for me. My second year of accounting changed from “paper” to “computer”! Wow, not much thinking for me. Just plugging numbers. It kinda lost it’s integrity. Everything that I was good at, a computer could do better, faster. “Integrity”, that’s gonna be a big word from this point on. I’m a big fan of Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Self Reliance”. Just an example. Probably one of the best examples that I could come up with. Bear with me! Society is made up of three kinds of people….. leaders, followers, and those that trek their own path. Society, as a whole, is selfish. Greedy! That is the United States of America. “We” want everything quick, fast and in a hurry, but if you get put on hold to speak to a “customer service representative”….from India….we get impatient and irritated! Reality TV, fast food, online bill pay, our current president…..”we” go with what works for us NOW! “We” want everything easy, but “we” want to know that there are people, “better” than us handling things. Followers! Why not have a computer lead a “robot”?

Erica sansenbach said...

A Whole New Mind made me think differently about how the brain works. I think that American society follows the right brain mentality more than the left brian. We try to find work at cheaper places just like the right brain does. You couldnt really fix it because you would have to start at a higher power that is unreachable. On the other hand, left brained thinkers would dominate anymore than right brained thinkers. They both need eachother in society as they do inside your head for brain function. The U.S. needs both of these kind of people to be succesful, both the creative and the logical.

Shannon Crawford said...

It is very important that we all learn to use both left and right sides of the brain. Our culture has become too dependent on techonology and we are losing the ability to do things for ourself. My major, early childhood education, is very important because it is my job to help young children gain the ability to use both sides of their brain.