Learning, Knowledge and Human Development MOOC’s Updates

Exploring the Social Mind: Cultural Intelligence and Examples of Social Learning

Option #2 Update: An example of a learning experience that exercises the social mind is learning to play music as part of a band. This applies to marching bands as well as rock bands - really, any coordinated effort by a group of people to accomplish a shared goal dependant upon both individual and collaborative success. In this example, learning extends beyond the individual mind because one must learn how to perform socially, not independently. Learning to play an instrument in solo performance may be an example of learning which does not extend (as much) beyond the individual mind. But in the case of band performances, learning to play as part of the group, in which one must recognize their "sonic social space" exemplifies the social mind. Collective intelligence may be seen in this example as how well the band performs together as a group, anticipating and responding musically to the musical behaviors of the band. There is even evidence that the brain waves of musicians playing together in a group synchronize. https://www.themusiciansbrain.com/?p=1305 The creative and interactive aspects of the social mind, including flexibility/plasticity and adaptability, are illustrated particularly well in the context of group musical performance. 

The more specific dynamics of learning in this example can be seen in the feedback required for successful social learning. For example, the band will not sound good if the drummer is playing technically well, but is not playing appropriately for the "sonic setting," or supporting the rest of the band. In a marching band, coordinated performances require much practice which involves learning to think with the social mind and knowing one's place relative to others. This is also an example of collaborative learning, in which groups of people learn to succeed by working together and sharing knowledge. The benefits of this collaborative learning include an increased sense of community and sense of belonging, and therefore, higher commitment to shared goals. 

Another example of a learning experience that exercises the social mind, not related to music, can be seen when people travel to societies whose cultural norms strongly differ from their native socialization - inducing "culture shock" (Yuefang, 2008). This learning extends beyond the individual mind because of the feedback required for appropriate behavior in these new contexts or environments. In fact, the process of socialization begins again as one must be "resocialized" in the new society, which demands extensive social interaction. This leads to the idea of a "cultural intelligence," or CQ in which worldly people who are at ease in many different cultures have higher CQ than someone who has never left their hometown (Presbitero, 2016). Learning social norms in a foreign culture and adjusting one's behavior requires using the social mind to process new social cues, increase awareness of one's social existence, and adapt thoughts and behavior to conform to new standards, and "correct" one's behavior. 

Exploring Cultural Intelligence | Shireen Chua | TEDxTutukaka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD-hdGZnTI8 

The social mind is almost a redundant term, as most of our thoughts and behaviors are rooted in our social experiences and expectations of others and ourselves in our society and culture. As historian David Christian proposes, culture is a primary difference separating humans from other animals, as our complex methods of sharing knowledge and teaching behavior are unique to our species (Christian, 2004). Human learning is a process which is influenced, but not simply determined by, brain development, social interaction, and the environment(s) in which one exists. These factors correspond to the concepts proposed in this course of brain developmentalism, social cognitivism, and behaviorism respectively. 

References: 

Christian, David. 2004. "Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History." Berkeley CA: University of California Press. pp. 139, 142–3, 144, 145–6. || Amazon || WorldCat

Presbitero, Alfred. 2016. "Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock: The Moderating Role of Cultural Intelligence in International Students' Adaptation." International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 53, p.28-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2016.05.004

Yuefang Zhou, Divya Jindal-Snape, Keith Topping & John Todman (2008) "Theoretical models of culture shock and adaptation in international students in higher education." Studies in Higher Education, 33:1, 63-75, DOI: 10.1080/03075070701794833