Introduction to Four Lenses of Thinking
There are four possible frames of reference or lenses to evaluate information critically: social science, natural science, history, and humanities. The study of social science examines how society works and how people interact. Natural science has its roots in investigating the physical and natural world.
Political, social, and economic histories are three categories of the past that can be explored. Philosophical and philological studies are believed to be in the humanities class because they focus on human behavior and everything else that concerns God’s creation (New Hamshire University, n.d.). As a result, it is assumed that acquiring scientific literacy means that people can better comprehend their surroundings and make informed judgments on essential issues.
Regarding research, the above-provided lenses utilize various kinds of evidence. Natural science uses primary sources, whereas social science uses both primary and secondary sources. Humanities disciplines utilize primary and secondary materials, while history uses primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.
Similarities and Differences
There are many ways in which various means of thinking may be similar. For instance, humanities and social sciences study human behavior, and social science connects to history by using primary and secondary sources to comprehend human behavior and interactions throughout history. However, both social science and natural science seek to define issues and determine acceptable solutions.
Furthermore, the humanities and history are distinct because they concentrate on how society and culture have developed, whereas history concerns past evidence and occurrence. Consequently, natural science, which studies the natural world, differs from social science since it studies society. History only deals with the past, whereas social science studies the past and the present.
On the one hand, the four lenses may be comparable because they all base their perceptions of the world on empirical data. On the other hand, the same lenses are assumed to be different since they each have a particular focus. For example, the historical lens examines the past, the humanities lens focuses on the present, and the natural science lens emphasizes the physical world. In addition, humanities scholars concentrate on the human condition, while social scientists focus on people.
Topic Proposal
For many years, the issue of climate change has been of great importance. It has been identified as one of the twenty-first century’s most significant economic and social problems (Dietz et al., 2020). The term “climate change” refers to a range of climatic variations that can negatively impact the environment and people. For instance, rising sea levels, stronger hurricanes, and high temperatures that would lead to droughts and protracted heat waves are the fundamental problems resulting from these changes. Additionally, climate change results from extended wildfire seasons and altered precipitation patterns.
Know (K)
The study of climate change has produced several significant results. For example, one may discover from a social science perspective that a state’s political economy significantly impacts its greenhouse gas emissions (Dietz et al., 2020). According to the natural science viewpoint, the 1.5°C increase in global temperature over the next five to twenty years will be the primary characteristic of climate change. One might learn from the historical perspective that scientists have been concerned about climate change since the 1970s (NASA, 2022). Finally, from a humanities standpoint, I have discovered that the issue of climate alteration has recently received more media attention and has contributed to the appearance of various conspiracies.
What People Would Like to Learn About Climate Change (W)
In addition, there are other things about this subject that one would like to know, and this may include:
- Social science: How do environmental alterations affect social change?
- Natural science: What proof is there currently for climate change?
- History: In the past, were there any effective strategies that made it easier to deal with the effects of climate change?
- Humanities: What are the prevailing media narratives on climate change?
Learned (L)
I shall conduct additional research on each subject’s viewpoint to respond to the above-listed inquiries. For example, in terms of the natural science question, the NASA summary is a place to learn more about facts, including increasing ocean and global temperatures, ice sheet shrinkage, and more frequent extreme occurrences (NASA, 2022). Therefore, I need to find more sources that address the particular components of the topic to respond to social science and history inquiries. Finally, to respond to the humanities question, I will examine various primary and secondary sources, including materials from media reports on climate change, to identify the dominant narratives.
Conclusion
The four lenses of thinking are crucial for helping people comprehend the world and how to address its serious problems, both social and environmental, such as climate change. The lenses mentioned above have several points in common and in contrast. The type of evidence employed in them or the area of the world that they look at, research, and explore can vary.
References
Dietz, T., Shwom, R. L., & Whitley, C. T. (2020). Climate change and society. Annual Review of Sociology, 46, 135–158. Web.
NASA. (2022). Climate change evidence: How do we know? NASA. Web.
New Hamshire University. (n.d). Lenses Identified. libguides.snhu.edu. Web.