U Christine Kuenkel
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
A lot of beliefs regarding social life have shifted and are still shifting, beliefs of gender and gender role, of classes and ethnicity.
We even see political systems shifting. We thought having finally "reached" democracy in (for) Europe, and thought nationalism, populism and worse overcome. We believed people would elect and act pro-democratic. Alas...... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
"We should always ask whether our desire to believe something is true might be influencing our rational judgement", and ask ourselves whether we always need to be right.
Upon hearing an extraordinary claim: Breath out and value the extraordinariness before all evaluating begins. I like the story about the Venus "sighting", the bit of chasing after it before... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Q: If more than one theory fits the evidence, how can we choose between them?
At first, we can look at the intrinsic logic of each theory and at the source/author of them, trying to find out their expertise/motivation/connections. Secondly, we should consult more sources/theories/explanations, in order to gain a more - broader and deeper - knowledge about the... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
A very simple example: Should I have to compare two things, for example a bit of cotton in my hand and a cloud in the sky, I could deduce that the two might have the same - at least similar - texture, temperature or weight. Just because I am experiencing the cotton right now and the cloud looks so much alike! Without any scientific knowledge or any experience...
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U Christine Kuenkel replied to Regina Vieira
... and reason. Wherever from this springs off.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
We are convinced of something to be the truth, until someone or something comes along and challenges our conclusions/convictions. We will always find truth as long as we let ourself challenge in our certainty.
But: When we are fixed or hard-headed, we'll probably hit truth only by accident. -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
'Humanists place great value on curiosity' and ' everything should be open to question'. So no taboos.
I hope humanism also leaves room for ambivalence and un-certainty. -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
And they are animals that can control their impulses and reflect.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I have my difficulty with this 'picture [that presents] what I believe what any human being should be': I do not believe that anybody should be, decide, live or think as I do. Where would be the appeal in verbal exchange with others or the sense in reading books?
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
We talk about life with the vocabulary and concepts we have developed(, feeling alive). Yet, we acknowledge that death is something else. Still we talk of it in terms of "life" and "exist",... We shall know better when the time comes or know anything at all. That shouldn't matter, because we cannot change it - can we?
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
"our behaviour, (...) our animal instincts, hungers, and desires" - we can work with them, control them, we can reason and make decisions; we have values; we even can re-work, change behaviour and improve. If there is a special value in human beings it is their range of making decisions.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
We are the only species that experiments with different organised societies (political systems), build and seem to need and like machines, and give names to creatures and objects alike.
All this due to the complexity in which these few elements mentioned above are assembled in our bodies? -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Being a human being means this self afflicted pain on puzzeling and finding out about one's own existence. What arrogance of thouhgt: what else animal philosozies as much?
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My thoght was: How far to carry the topic of equality. Owen Tuckett did put it better: Why /how to tolerate the intolerant ones?
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
all speaker mention the impossibility of humanism and religion together in one's life. With the firm exclusion of any contradicting "traces" or views/feelings in one's heart, these people appeare convinced, almost hardlined.
I like the expression "the core values (...) are empathy, compassion, reason and evidence. And evidence must be interpreted... it is... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I'd like to learn to navigate better in a diverse society (institution). Its aspiration is a rather secular and humanist one, but as any institution, so is "mine" filled and run by people, many of those are influenced by cultures and religions... And so am I (influenced). I'd hope to get to know an approach, that helps me to look beyond (religious, cultural)...
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I'm looking forward to learing new aspects - new approaches to live. At least to get to know - what is it a philosophy, mindset, a movement?! (If it needs a drawer to be put into.) I'll see.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Stories and discussions right now :
how will society come out of this crisis, changed for the better?, very much the same or worse?
how certain professions will survive, or at all (prof. of culture: aritists, cinemas, concert halls, museums; hotelery and gastronomy; touristics) and will others gain more rescpect and payment (health care, public transport,... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
identify a specific set of readers that might read one publication and not another?
I can only think of many intellectuals an bookish people that would rather skip the sports section of any newspaper.
What factors influence the audience of a newspaper? What would the audiences’ choices be based on?
Field of interest / entertainment / point-of-view
The want... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
https://www.dw.com/en/corona-crisis-in-kenya-fact-checking-can-save-lives/a-53146621
I like this story, it describes the importance of the understanding of scientific facts and working socially by teaching this understanding. This short text shows how people could be enabled to make better desicions for themselves- despite deep rooted social pattern. -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
A topic like antibiotics I would approach from different sides, I'd look up medical journals as well as microbiological and biotechnological ones. Some e-journals do not grant access to just everybody online - a library of a university can help with access and with even tips which paper/source else might be of use.
NHS as primary source might be difficult -... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
A collegue of mine has just told me, 'what's the use of writing books, today students do not read anymore, the "go to" YouTube and learn from there'. I call that a great social impact.
Commercial and social 'sucessful' I'd call all the brands that offered convenience food (Maggi, Heinz,...). Generations cook in fast-track, and youngsters mistake a long,...
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The companie's name even became a synonym - there is hardly anyone, that says "make an internet re-search" it's always "google it". The influence a brand makes that it sinks into the language, is not to be underestimated. You might name a few more brands that made it into the verbal English, rather than me, being not of that mother-tongue.
Mind what... -
Another reason for the decline of brand loyalty might be that some companies decide to discontinue certain products and consumers have to get those things from other sources.
Or: The raw products change in quality/quantity - some companies are able to cope with this challenge others do not. "Long lasting" brands might change due to this.
Or: The installing... -
U Christine Kuenkel replied to Tony Gibbs
The question seems to be what is 'value' / what is valuable?
Is it money-making? Or is a less of “eating-up-the-world”, the avoidance of damaging people’s livelihoods and societies a profit in itself? It is a good time for coining a stronger currency than that, that badly served societies, regions and environment up to now.
Those small businesses, that... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
You say: "Toyota still sells 9 million cars a year, even though they had, like many other car manufacturers, several product recalls because of product problems in the last few years. In spite of all of that, people keep buying. People stay committed."
I would ask: Are you sure these "committed people" all know about the malfunctions in the production lines?... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
What I think is a curious thing is the effect of all this stay-at-home, that my shopping cart now regularily fills with "new" things, that also stay with me at home: E.g. bunches of flowers, a hibiscus plant (whatever the costs) and a stylish coffee grinder (manually operated), and books, books, books. These all seem to stand for slowing down and making me...
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I just remembered the café in car showrooms or bookshops, the lego shops with their do-it-yourself-corners or a chocolate brand, with an area where kids can "cook" their own recipies... The combination of no. 4 with no. 5 will grow. People want to take part on the promised ideas, act-out this pleasure.
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I just start thinking that the current crisis might even change the weight of certain values in peoples' mind. This also might change consuming. I can't imagine things will go on as before covid-19-times. All this enthusiasm of products being in flux and being-beta-ness might go-off as much as other bubbles. The need for more reliability not just superficial...
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@RaquelCastellano yes, many thanks for this link. Good speech and insight to the development from top-down to the reverse (reminding us of the success of all the non-profit movements). Insteresting to put these symbols together with brands (that are meant to bring financial profit in the first place). The oppostitional movements seek to profit in quite...
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U Christine Kuenkel replied to Joanna Debenham
There is hardly a way to control the way consumer use and combine products (mis-use in some people's eyes). What's for some the right thing to do is a challenge for others. Here we are back to the point of creating social meaning.
So what is the use of tagetting a certain group of consumer in the first place? You cannot tell, who will by and who will... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I'd like to get mor insight of what shapes (and maintains) the desire of brands, and what mechanisms keep people making some of those expensive decisions, choosing brands over other products less "brandy" but equally useful.
And: After this course, will I be able to control some of my own "shopping activities" when it comes to brand-or-not-brand? -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I think people choose products for the things they connect them with, or read into them, and share these points with other people. Either its been with the family ever since as a kind of "family taste" (e.g. Nescafeé rather than other sorts) or what the products stand for / the compay's promisses : lifestyle, freedom, fair traiding, social commitment,...
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Hello everyone. I'm not professionally connected with brands or advertising, but I like to learn much more about the tricks of this business and above all, the influence brands have on most of us.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Hello. I'm keen on learning whether there is a reason why some brands remain regional others become globally accepted and make their step into the common language.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I'm less interested at the medical or bio-chemical side of the present crisis. I'm following blogs with articles of sociology, that are very well written. Essays e.g. on how bits of the scientific knowledge are adapted, if not understood, by the wider audience and how this changes society. How common and specific habits change. It's the impact of knowledge (or...
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Hi, I'm working in a scientific lab at an University and still I'm here for fun and learning - maybe will writing about some of the things I do in the lab, someday .
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Thank you for the splendid learning time. I think I'll study on.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I've never known that there are so many digital tools for collaborative work ;-). I'm grateful for this course which helped me thinking through my way of approaching and structuring a working day and considering Remote Work seriously for myself even after the corona crisis. I like the Kaban System and SMART method.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I've experienced a skype session, but could not say that it convinced me of anything worth sticking to.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Email and even instant messager tools are helpful, you can pass on your questions / thoughts and get a response when ever the other person is ready to (and has things thought over). But the old good phone is unbeatable, when it comes to really connecting and catching-up.
Haven't used video-conference tools - yet, nor collaboration tools. -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I used post-it notes and I'm quite surprised that my most unfavourite project does not look so huge and un-manageable anymore!
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I very much like the Kaban System, and I'll start with a handwritten one rightaway.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I've used only a few tools yet and just for private purpose because of the question of data safety. But I'm keen of learning more about Teams and Co.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Here is one thing I've to learn better: Sharing and celebrating archievements. For this I need better communication skills: Actively listening and being interested in the work of others as well as presenting one's archievements and allowing failings (mine and other one's) or more time for finishing projects. It is important not only to shop-talk, but I feel it...
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Right you are, Jane, I've too shared stuff learned here with my colleagues, who are as inexperienced as I am/was with remote work.
Many thanks to the authors of this course. Looking forward to next week. -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Why do you think remote working is a good idea for you?
The current home office work is not quite a choice of mine, but I’d like to do the best of the situation. Therefore I joined this course. In future, remote work will be just occasionally possible, if at all.
What do you think might be a challenge for you about remote working?
Only IT work can... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
First of all there is no space dedicated to jot down notes, nor reference books.But that depends of the kind of work to be done.
No personal items are visible that would fill the room with life and personality. The set-up of the laptop in fornt of the window is not very clever, the light should come from the side (90 degree). Ideally the light from the... -
U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Lilian's schedule above is already heavely suffed. I can see only one way for her to find a balance between work and home life that is to pass over one or the other duty to her partner. Otherwise she would be forced to work during the night. It won't do reusing for professional work the two times sets for self-study - the only times she has got for herself.
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The Wellness Action Plan is great, and that there is a guide for both sides - employee and employer. Gives a good insight of how things ought to be approached.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
my concern it finding a balance between work and an active private life in my silent, cofined sphere of a few squere meter
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
what I really appreciate, while remote working, is the flexibility to do house cores and shopping during the midday as an kind of extended lunch break. The afternoon belongs to work stuff again. Whether this is more productive must be put to the proof. Right now the productivity might be out-weighted by the stress the loneliness due to and the actual health...
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
most jobs circle around virtual productions: digital technonogy itself (desighning, maintaining websites, desiging software. The empoyees are expected to be self-sufficient, highly self-motovated and best trained and experienced in the regarding field and softwares. They should be lone-wolfes and high-performers in communication too, also apt to team-work...
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Lillian is very much aware of the feature of isolation and lack of interaction with colleagues; her rating of this is still pretty high. And never leaving house might grow into a very small world... Commuting eats time, which could be spent with free time or work otherwise, but it also is a time of transition from one sphere (work) to the other (free time and...
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
As well as Rachel below I too have been forced into remote work, which is so unusual for me, working in a scientific lab usually. But there are always activities that can be done on a screen - even remotely.. But as was said further down the discussion-thread, the challenge is finding the right measure of work-load and time spend on a task. And not working...
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Yes, the pandemy; I know what you mean: The core of my work is handling chemicals and stuff in a professional lab; remote work is so different from that. But since you cannot put a lab in a shoe box and take it home with you, I concentrate on tasks I can do digitally (even learn about modern ways of work); paper-work that was put-aside time and again, for...
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
I choose "at lot more productive" because there is a tendency to stick longer to a task and more intensive. There is the danger that the boundary between work-related and the private-live blurrs.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Hi, I am from Germany. And right now I've been - as almost everyone is - plunged into working remotely. I'd like to learn something, that helps me to deal with this challenge.
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U Christine Kuenkel made a comment
Hello all,
I've just finished my BA (in part-time study) and have to admid I'm addicted to learning...
I live in Germany and all German focus is more on WWII. So I'm very curious to learn more about WWI. The approach through art and film caught me too. My next study subject will be film. I think this short course will be a good warming-up for me.