Combining 2 Cultures conference highlights human interaction with environment
On the weekend of Feb. 1 to 2, students from the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences program at the University of Guelph hosted the annual two-day conference called Combining 2 Cultures. The conference brought together students from interdisciplinary programs from McGill University, the University of Waterloo and McMaster University for a series of presentations and working groups.
Students from McMaster University’s Arts and Sciences program established the Combining 2 Cultures conference back in 2009 in an effort to, according the conference’s website, “improve interdisciplinary education through collaboration.”
The theme for this year’s conference, ‘Roots to Routes,’ was wide-ranging but generally focused on how past experiences influences the paths that we take in the future.
The U of G planning committee made a special effort to ensure that environmental considerations were taken into account during the day’s activities, making sustainable food options available while reducing waste as much as possible.
Presentations began in the morning and working groups and discussions followed in the afternoon.
The keynote speaker this year was professor Pat Barclay from the U of G’s Department of Pyschology. His research focuses on using evolutionary roots to promote cooperation.
According to Barclay, “evolutionary history” is key to answering the question: “How do we get self-interested people to contribute more?”
Barclay argued that individuals must learn how to benefit at a cost to oneself. Thus “the problem of altruism,” he said, is learning to appreciate the positive consequences of acting altruistically. The causes of altruistic behaviour, Barclay stated, are rooted in mechanisms and emotions, but the key question is why “do these learned sentiments evolve?”
One reason is that because individuals carry a reputation, or ego, cooperation brings reputational payback. In other words, having the capacity to cooperate speaks to a person’s “character” and generates reputational benefits.
But, on the other side of that equation, Barclay wants to know: “How do we harness competition for good?” The struggle for status is innate in animals, yet humans do this differently. We use “gossip, power, and sports as a proxy for violence” to illustrate our position in society.
Other speakers included Janet Wilson, an author and activist; Dr. John Walsh of the School of Languages and Literature; and Paul Chartrand, an artist who incorporates agriculture into his art.
Working groups met to discuss the concept of biomimicry, which is the design of structures and systems modelled on biological processes; strategies for using the arts to better communicate scientific research; cause-related marketing, and many other topics.
