Paradigm Shift essay

Why does the current society seek a higher education?

 It is undoubtedly evident that people in our generation are obsessed to pursue a higher education due to limited paths to success but surplus of people.

It is not a sudden trend, however, we have always lived in a society where competition is indispensable. The tension of competition existed in primitive society, when males show off his strength in order to be selected by females.

As a society develops, a notion of civilization gradually appears, and people start to take parts in their state’s economy. At that time, only certain privileged people have authority over others. That power has been passed down as a family/genealogy heritage. As a result, a monarchy appeared and it ruled all across Europe for centuries.

However, things have slightly changed than those days. Now, an average middle class person is eligible to climb up to that aristocrats’ world via “a higher education”. It is the world where people are no longer subjugated to their social status. They now have much better paths to become successful as long as they have a strong will of yearning of success. A higher education is the very mean which will make their dreams come true.    

source:

[The world is going to university] 

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21647285-more-and-more-money-being-spent-higher-education-too-little-known-about-whether-it

[Sharping our future] 

http://kettering.org/wp-content/uploads/Shaping-Our-Future.pdf

What is a paradigm shift?

I personally think it refers to a societal movement when certain ideologies or behaviors are no longer fit in the society's norm.

For instance, looking at the world back in 1990s, there were the first WWI, the second, and the Cold War. Back then, the world was busy diving up the political sphere of influence, constructing an alliance, and fighting against other alliances of the nations; The triple alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy of WW1. However, in 21^st century, whenever a civil war breaks out, the current world tend to resolve the conflict by all means. The United States has been deporting militaries to Somalia, Afghanistan, and Syria in order to stop unnecessary scapegoats.  The point that I am trying to make here is that the world in 20^th century was blinded by its power and attempted to gorge other nations by using military force.  But as the time has gone by, the world is more focused on humanitarian issues, such as human rights and civil wars.  One could counter-argue that we, as the world, are still experiencing conflicts, but there was a shift in paradigm in terms of why nations are having armed conflicts; Emancipating people from their malicious dictators. 

 

(photo source: http://heavy.com/social/2013/08/historical-comparison-photos-then-now-ww2-nyc/5/)

In addition, the paradigm shift happened not only in international relations, but also in social media. Before the mobile phone became the symbol of the early 2000s, there was a thing called, ‘’Pager.’’ It has only been 18 years to see a societal change of people walking around with their newest iPhones or Samsung galaxies from the device making beep-beep sound, a pager. Moreover, there are countless social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter, Snapchat, Vine, and even more. Now we are entering a new era where every personal life is being presented to the public. It is good that we are making an intimate world, but few may concern that this is too much and lacking personal and quality time with family members.

                                       (source://www.statisticbrain.com/facebook-statistic/)