Microcosms of Society

During our last class as a large group, we talked about a story from another time and place where the characters had to take drastic measures to get what they wanted. We discussed whose actions we approved of most, and whose we disapproved of. It was difficult to come to a consensus when we realized that everyone values different characteristics in people. The idea was also presented that maybe we didn’t understand the context or culture of the story, and so we did not have the power to judge justly.

Initially I didn’t understand why we were participating in this small debate. The story didn’t reveal enough information, and confrontation with my peers is not my favorite pastime. I finally decided that the reason we were arguing about something so inconsequential was because sometimes we have to use small amounts of information to draw conclusions. It’s hard, but necessary in certain circumstances.

How does this tie into an experience abroad? Well, sometimes we don’t have as much information as we’d like, especially in a field study project. I think the project I chose for a field study could be something hard to gather information on, but that doesn’t mean that my project idea will disappear. Sometimes, despite not knowing the context of a story or of someone’s life, we have to make judgments and draw conclusions based on what we do know or see. This is kind of a scary thought. We are not built for inferences and flee from anything that doesn’t have enough proof. Even as I write this, I’m not sure I’m comfortable designing and executing a project where the information I want is not abundant. But it also makes me wonder what other ideas in Tonga exist that I can focus my project on.