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Culture, according to Raymond Williams, is one of the most complex words in the English language. Over centuries, the term evolved to cover extremely broad ideas and processes. Today culture most commonly refers to an amalgamation of people, ideas, behaviors, and customs. Culture essentially describes a particular way of life. The social science of culture is extremely fascinating. We discussed in class the differences between the culture of science and the culture of humanities. These two cultures tend to clash because science is empirical in nature and the humanities tend to speak more to the human experience. This rift exists at Colby, which is why STS is so important. STS exists in part as the bridge between science and the humanities. There are many different cultures active at Colby, that are ripe for examining through the lens of a social scientist. Perhaps the most prominent cultural divide, or perceived cultural divide, is between Colby students who do not participate in athletics and those that do. The \u201crift\u201d between these cultures is most likely due to complex social interpretations that differ between subcultures of these two groups. We can begin to understand this complex relationship by attempting to bridge the gap.<\/span><\/p>\n I would like to say for starters, that I do not believe there is an actual rift between student-athletes at Colby, and students who do not participate in athletics. Rather I believe that occasionally different subgroups of these cultures are at odds with each other due to differences in personal experience and customs. Oftentimes these small differences are exacerbated into seemingly large issues. These occurrences in turn are responsible for the perception of a divide between student-athletes and students not participating in athletics. It is important that we understand why these differences occur so that we can try and prevent them from happening. Colby\u2019s campus is always a better place when everyone\u2019s experience is valued equally.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the main reasons why rifts emerge between these two cultures is because of the subcultures that exist within. The idea of a \u201cculture\u201d of athletes and non-athletes is an extremely broad generalization. In actuality, there is no one set of defining characteristics to describe someone who participates in athletics, and someone who doesn\u2019t. People within these two categories may share similar characteristics, but it doesn\u2019t mean they have nothing in common with people on the other side of the \u201cdivide\u201d. It also doesn\u2019t mean its impossible for subcultures within these groups to clash. The subculture of the Colby Eight, for example, is likely very different from the subculture of the investment club, just like the subculture of the men\u2019s soccer team is likely different from the subculture of the women\u2019s crew team. These differences in subculture coincide with differences in customs, behaviors, and experiences for those involved. It is oftentimes trivial differences between these subcultures that reinforces the idea of a \u201crift\u201d between people who do and don\u2019t participate in athletics at Colby.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Analyzing the idea of a culture rift between Colby student-athletes and students who don\u2019t participate in athletics, leads me to believe that the rift doesn\u2019t actually exist. Instead, I believe the rift is a social construct, reinforced by occasional personal cultural differences between subculture groups amongst athletes and non-athletes. The fact of the matter is that athletes make up a large percentage of Colby students, so they are an easy group to single out from the larger population. This separation of students reinforces the idea of separate cultures among these groups and their subgroups. Athletics is an extracurricular activity, like any club or group on Colby\u2019s campus. It is simply one of many special interest avenues a Colby student can follow during their four years. If the Colby community were able to step back and view our whole campus as one distinct and special culture made up of many different yet equally valuable and important subcultures than the perception of an athlete and non-athlete rift would completely disappear. Perhaps an organization dedicated to bridging this gap, similar to how STS bridges the gap between science and the humanities, would help topple this problematic social construct.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Culture, according to Raymond Williams, is one of the most complex words in the English language. 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