How Big History Could Change the World for the Better
Big History is ideally positioned to act as a major driver of social change through the promotion of a rigorous and accessible scientific origin story. This origin story appeals to our species’ universal predilection for storytelling and unifies key scientific theories across disciplines within a si...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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International Big History Association
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Big History |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jbh.journals.villanova.edu/index.php/JBH/article/view/2417 |
| _version_ | 1797670385055956992 |
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| author | Elise Bohan |
| author_facet | Elise Bohan |
| author_sort | Elise Bohan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Big History is ideally positioned to act as a major driver of social change through the promotion of a rigorous and accessible scientific origin story. This origin story appeals to our species’ universal predilection for storytelling and unifies key scientific theories across disciplines within a single, coherent narrative. Below, I identify two interrelated problems that Big History can help combat: suboptimal cultural knowledge priorities, and scientific illiteracy. I then explore how Big History can be part of the solution, with reference to my own experience teaching Big History in Australia. I argue that if taught globally and promoted as a core part of the assumed knowledge of every culture, Big History could help facilitate a much needed shift towards a more enlightened, rational, scientifically literate, and future conscious society. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:58:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3e7f1859033462984551ff4b549a919 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2475-3610 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:58:59Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | International Big History Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Big History |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3e7f1859033462984551ff4b549a9192023-09-30T00:23:46ZengInternational Big History AssociationJournal of Big History2475-36102019-07-01333745https://doi.org/10.22339/jbh.v3i3.3330How Big History Could Change the World for the BetterElise Bohan0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6663-7544Macquarie University, Big History Institute, Sydney, AustraliaBig History is ideally positioned to act as a major driver of social change through the promotion of a rigorous and accessible scientific origin story. This origin story appeals to our species’ universal predilection for storytelling and unifies key scientific theories across disciplines within a single, coherent narrative. Below, I identify two interrelated problems that Big History can help combat: suboptimal cultural knowledge priorities, and scientific illiteracy. I then explore how Big History can be part of the solution, with reference to my own experience teaching Big History in Australia. I argue that if taught globally and promoted as a core part of the assumed knowledge of every culture, Big History could help facilitate a much needed shift towards a more enlightened, rational, scientifically literate, and future conscious society.https://jbh.journals.villanova.edu/index.php/JBH/article/view/2417big historysocial changescientific origin storycultural knowledge prioritiesscientific illiteracy |
| spellingShingle | Elise Bohan How Big History Could Change the World for the Better Journal of Big History big history social change scientific origin story cultural knowledge priorities scientific illiteracy |
| title | How Big History Could Change the World for the Better |
| title_full | How Big History Could Change the World for the Better |
| title_fullStr | How Big History Could Change the World for the Better |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Big History Could Change the World for the Better |
| title_short | How Big History Could Change the World for the Better |
| title_sort | how big history could change the world for the better |
| topic | big history social change scientific origin story cultural knowledge priorities scientific illiteracy |
| url | https://jbh.journals.villanova.edu/index.php/JBH/article/view/2417 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elisebohan howbighistorycouldchangetheworldforthebetter |