Professional Activities In The Context Of Educational Humanitarian Expertise

Abstract

Scientific and technological development contributes to the development of a more humane and challenging life. Along with this, scientific and technological innovations generate acute problems and endanger human existence itself. Modern challenges require that the humanitarian component, which determines a general approach to the problems of social development, should be a systemically important part of professional activity. The possibility of this is provided by a post-nonclassical rationality. Globalization highlights two foci of fatal problems: internal and external ones. Internal focus fixes the growth of technogenic, cultural, political unipolarity and external indicates the danger of becoming a post-human, transhumanistic life form. Coming out from the zone of uncertainty and danger depends on the harmonization of traditions and innovations. The realization of this idea is possible through humanitarian expertise, which is a form of socially solving problems of the innovative development. The operation of the humanitarian expertise enables to form a cultural environment that commits professional activity to certain actions. However, the ideas of the humanitarian expertise should be an internal reference point for the subjects of professional activity. The latter is ensured by the fact that the humanitarian expertise is a necessary form of maximum students’ understanding of real challenges in the forthcoming professional activity. The experience of educational humanitarian expertise will be included in the personal knowledge of future professionals. Professional activity included in the context of the humanitarian expertise is a socially responsible, promising form of activity that contributes to the stable existence and progressive development of the mankind.

Keywords: Humanitarian expertiseinnovationprofessional activitiesRisk societytraditionuniversity

Introduction

The innovative, rational nature of modern social life brings forth constant social changes and the non-stop process of introducing new technologies, the openness to justified changes for the better and it is provided by the corresponding level of achievements and development in the field of vocational education and activities. A direct consequence of this is the need for permanent improvement and development in the field of vocational education and activities (Shwab, 2015; Alexankov Trostinskaya, & Pokrovskaia, 2018).

The development of the professional activity takes place within the framework of the corresponding technical paradigm, if there are general ideas about the direction of social development, the place of Russia (in general, sovereign states) in this process, the basic principles of preparation for the professional activity.

The broad basic progressive development of the professional activity within the framework of an established technical paradigm is all those achievements of scientific and technological development that change people's lives for the better. A genuine example of the latter is an increase of the people’s life expectancy and the growing population of the Earth.

Along with the undeniable positive realities of modern life, there is a growing wave of challenges associated with the scientific and technological development

This is observed in all major spheres and trends of social life. For example, right now, the arms race is intensifying and the military confrontation in the world is increasing. High quality innovations give rise to the general problem of uncertainty, the difficulties of precise understanding of what is happening. An example is the formation of a third generation university. Its focus on strengthening the link between professional education and life is positive. But it is crucial to understand that this classic university turns «into ruins» (Readings, 1996) and the importance of humanitarian training is decreasing (Nussbaum, 2010; Ahmetzhanova, et al., 2017). As a result, more and more specialists identify a current stage of social life as highly problematic.

Modern social life should be thought over in order to remove threats and change it into an understandable, acceptable and optimal direction for further functioning and development. The anti-crisis study of social life provides a general context for understanding and action in all types of human activity.

Problem Statement

It is crucial to substantiate modern theoretical necessity and the possibility of including the humanitarian component in the responsible professional activity.

Modern developments should be taken as a basis for solutions in the field of social development and scientific rationality.

It is crucial to substantiate the possibility of including the humanitarian component in responsible professional activity, which becomes a form of practical translation of the modern highly problematic stage of development of public life into an acceptable and optimal channel for its further functioning

Modern developments should be taken as a basis for solving the translation of theory into practice, the connection of university education with life.

Research Questions

  • Can a humanitarian analysis of social development be convincing for the majority of members of the professional community?

  • What is the phenomenon of social life that allows us to identify the main problems of social development?

  • What is the general, guiding idea of a more hopeful, stable, progressive existence and development of humanity?

  • Is there a common, productive form of how to transform the Humanities contemporary issues of social development into social life?

  • How can we make the humanitarian knowledge of contemporary problems in social development a permanent guide for the general professional activity?

Purpose of the Study

  • To identify the specifics of modern social development as a transition stage, which should soften acute problems of human existence and to form the basis for furthermore hopeful, stable, progressive existence and development of mankind, justified in its general professional activity.

  • To reflect the possibility and to contribute to the fact that the humanitarian component becomes an integral part of the perspective professional activity, forming the basis of stable and progressive existence and development of mankind.

Research Methods

In general, the studied object is complex, developing and associated with post-non-classical values. The theme of perspective professional activity is defined in the context of the transition of modern highly problematic stage of development of social life into an acceptable and optimal route for its further functioning.

Methods of analysis, synthesis, systematization, methodological principles of objectivity and criticality are the initial methodological tools for the study of domestic and foreign material (from scientific papers to cultural and entertainment content of the Internet), dedicated to the studied problem.

Further research is based on systemic, historical, logical, predictive methods of cognition.

Findings

Post-non-classical rationality creates a theoretical basis for organic and valuable connection of the achievements of humanitarian analysis of social development problems to professional activities

The problem of the humanitarian knowledge inclusion in professional activities mirrors a problem of modern relations between natural science (natural, technical, social) and humanitarian knowledge, which deals with the historic confrontation between scientism and anti-scientism. In this context, it is an answer to the question whether the humanitarian analysis of social development can be convincing for the majority of representatives of the professional community.

The development of modern society shows that the scientism has lost its leading position in the culture since the end of the twentieth century. An eloquent example of this is general criticism of positivism (neo-positivism) and the emergence of post-positivism. Post-positivism has shown the historical variability of scientific knowledge, the difference between scientific paradigms, the incommensurability of scientific theories. All of this was bordered by the assertion of universal relativism, equalizing all kinds of human knowledge. The latter is explicitly stated in post-modernism. In general, post-modernism has been replaced by scientism; modern society is often identified as a post-modern society. Professional community, objectively, has a negative perception of the contemporary relevance of post-modernism, anti-scientism. This makes it problematic to fully connect the achievements of humanitarian analysis of social development problems to professional activities.

The specifics of natural and humanitarian knowledge set an objective basis for the formation of the scientism and anti-scientism. In this regard, the previous analysis reflects the objective state of affairs. But all this does not deny the possibility that the confrontation between natural science and humanitarian knowledge is potential only. This possibility is related to the adoption and development of the culture of post-non-classical scientific rationality.

According to the concept of Stepin, in the history of the development of modern science since the seventeenth century. there has been a process of changing three types of scientific rationality. The formation of a new type of scientific rationality, post-non-classical rationality has taken place since the mid-twentieth century. The main reason for the formation of post-non-classical rationality is that modern science has started to study the most complex, changing, self-developing objects related to man and his values (Stepin, 2013).

The historical development of scientific rationality types, in principle, does not cancel the possibility of their coexistence. The objective basis of this is the fact of different specifics of the studied objects. Simple objects can be studied with the support of the first type of scientific rationality – classical, Newtonian rationality. Complex objects require reference to post-non-classical scientific rationality. The theory of types of scientific rationality does not link the specifics of simple and complex objects of study with the specifics of different types of knowledge. Thus, general scientific ideas about a certain scale of objects studied by all sciences are formed: from the simplest to the most complex.

Post-non-classical rationality creates a theoretical basis for organic and full-fledged connection of the achievements of humanitarian analysis of social development problems to professional activities.

The current process of globalization identifies two foci crucial problems of humanity: internal – records of the growth of technological, cultural and political unipolarity; external indicates the danger of becoming post-human, transhuman forms of life

The veracity of the concept is ensured by the availability of verified data. In our case, the question is about the availability of material that serves as the basis for the idea of problematic modern society. We believe that these are the global challenges of humanity, which are highlighted in the social and humanitarian knowledge.

Current analysis of global problems includes research into available global problems and the search for possible identification or emergence of new ones. In the first direction of the study, it can be stated with certainty that none of these problems has lost its relevance. The last thesis should be even strengthened: all the global problems highlighted tend to continue and to negatively deepen An example is the problem of the military annihilation of humanity. It seemed that the deadly threat of military confrontation of the leading states with nuclear weapons was gradually leveled at the end of the twentieth century. But this is not evident at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The number of local military conflicts provoking the clash of superpowers is not decreasing. Recent new qualitative breakthroughs in the development of military equipment suggest a new global arms race.

In the second direction of the study, a global problem of the growth of technogenic influence and the trend of the appearance of post-human is pointed out. This topic is addressed in the course of a substantive study of available global problems. For example, almost all modern environmental problems are directly related to technogenic development. But modernity requires a technological phenomenon to be conceived in its own integrity and trends. The analysis leads to the statement that one of the most acute global challenges of our time is formed here.

The basis for a meaningful definition of an technogenic global problem should be taken by the domestic theory of technogenic civilization, where modern civilization is thought through through the prism of technogenic innovation. The chosen criterion allows to see the technogenic phenomenon as such. Technogenic innovation indicates that the technogenic is increasingly becoming a means and medium of human existence, as well as a measure of social, cultural life. Paying attention to its own phenomenon of innovative technogenic development in conjunction with the known fact of exponential scientific and technological development, it is possible to deduce the nearest qualitative goal of technogenic development. For supporters of transhumanism, this goal consists in a qualitative restructuring of a person who, getting rid of all natural, uncontrolled technologically and limiting, becomes a posthuman, fundamentally open to any appropriate transformations. Critics point to the questionable and pernicious nature of such ideas. The result of it all can be a qualitative overcoming of humanity as such, created by people artificial forms of life, artificial intelligence (Joy, 2000; Kutyrev, 2016).

The sum of modern global problems is an empirical material reflecting the dangers of modern social life. We believe that the most deeply and accurately systematic, cause-effect, perspective generalization of this material is given in the context of theoretical developments of the globalization phenomenon (Klare, 2015; Gadzhiev, 2017; Grinin et al., 2016).

There is no doubt that globalization is the process of uniting humanity into a single whole – an objective, natural process of development of social life. There is also every reason to believe that the modern form of globalization is unfair, selfish, carried out in favor of the most developed countries in the world, the current «golden billion». The present unjust, unipolar globalization sets an objective basis for allocating two series of joint teams to global problems: internal and external, technological, post-human.

The unipolar process of modern globalization provides a deep basis for the formation and preservation of all internal global problems. At the level of words, the whole world is equally struggling with environmental threats. As applied to a number of internal global problems, this is quite obvious. Ultimately, maintaining all the benefits of unipolar globalization is based on strength. Hence, the arms race, local military conflicts, as a form of demonstration of real military power, and - given the qualitative level of modern weapons - the risk of self-destruction of mankind. In connection with a number of other internal global problems, the connection with unipolar globalization can not be immediately seen. But it necessarily opens in the course of a special study. At the level of affairs, unipolar globalization helps to ensure that environmental challenges are essential in poor, developing countries. On the one hand, developed countries are moving environmentally harmful production to developing countries. On the other hand, developing countries have to focus their production on achieving the standard of living of developed countries, despite the environmental costs.

Internal global challenges generated by unipolar globalization are the basis for the formation of technogenic, post-human global problems. Unipolar globalization, protecting its status quo in the framework of technogenic civilization, should be a permanent leader of scientific and technological development. But it does not take into account the dangerous ways of post-human development.

Harmonization of traditions and innovations is a guiding idea of the transformation of the modern highly problematic stage of development of social life in an acceptable and optimal course of its further functioning

The idea of harmonization of traditions and innovations can be a guiding idea, a kind of categorical imperative that contributes to the implementation of multi-polar globalization. In the expanded form the idea of harmony of traditions and innovations includes a number of the following representations. Today, humanity can’t do without innovations. Each of them and the sum of innovations can lead to dangerous consequences. It’s necessary to think accurately over the need for any innovation. The latter requires a deep knowledge of traditions, established forms of life, and their potential. If the innovation turns out to be useless in case of direct or modified tradition which can replace or show redundancy of this innovation, it should not be implemented.

Humanitarian expertise – a common form of transition of achievements of Humanities research to contemporary problems of social development in the actual practice of social life

The idea of harmony of traditions and innovations sets a common understanding of the existing and the purpose of activity, which transforms modern professional activity into the form of socially valuable, perspective activity. Is there a common, productive form of knowledge transition in the Humanities contemporary issues of social development in real practice? This is a humanitarian expertise.

The problems of humanitarian expertise started to be developed in the domestic philosophical and humanitarian life in the late twentieth century (Grebenshchikova Diev, Sidorova, & Yudin, 2015).

Historically, the idea of humanitarian expertise has been derived from the specific history of the application of biotechnological and medical innovations. The new, complex issues that have emerged (allocation of scarce resources; concerns about the very fact of novelty) have given rise to specific ethical committees that have discussed and made direct recommendations to address these issues. In the theory of humanitarian expertise, medical ethics committees were the best form of the general trend in the practice of using the latest technologies. (Close to all this is the formation of the Greenpeace movement and the green party.) In this regard, we note that the idea of humanitarian expertise thus derived is more reliable and promising in comparison with any other, purely theoretical proposals.

Humanitarian expertise is an actual form of understanding and solving the most complex problems of social development. In this context, it is quite logical (in general and from the point of view of heuristics) that humanitarian expertise should be interdisciplinary. Along with specific professionals, humanitarian expertise should involve specialists of a wide profile, other areas of scientific and technical activity, representatives of philosophical, social and humanitarian knowledge. The mandatory participants of the humanitarian examination should be ordinary people who can be directly affected by the discussed problem of the application of innovations (possible patients of medical institutions; residents of a certain area).

Humanitarian expertise is in tune with the development of modern democracy. It is full-fledged, convincing all interested parties and it can be an ideal example for direct democracy.

The inclusion of the practice of humanitarian expertise in educational activities provides an opportunity for humanitarian knowledge to become an integral part of the perspective professional activities, forming the basis of stable and progressive existence and development of mankind

Modern education can prevent the formation of a full-fledged professional activity. Critical analysis highlights the emerging theory and practice of entrepreneurial university as the central object of research (Shchelkunov, 2017; Gonzales et al., 2014). Apologists of the entrepreneurial university consider it a new, necessary historical form of university education, designed to meet the current public needs. The university form of education (the university of the first generation), which appeared in the middle ages, prepared highly qualified specialists capable of understanding and preserving the tradition. The emergence of a new, second form of university, a research university, was associated with the formation of a new social goal: to improve the lives of people on the basis of scientific research. The modern pace of scientific and technical innovations requires a closer link between education and practical activities. The answer to this public request is the formation of a modern, third form of University, that is an entrepreneurial university. Bright external economic feasibility of the entrepreneurial university is manifested and it clarifies a lot in modern internal university life. New information and communication technologies enable the intensive development of distance learning (Kizilcec, et al., 2017). This can lead to: first, to a reduction in the number of universities and the formation of international super-universities that can educate anyone, regardless of where he lives; second, to a reduction in the number of teachers, through the widespread introduction of automatic learning tools and its control. If the economic objectives are obvious, it reduces the value of humanitarian training for future specific professionals in their scientific and technical field. If all this is economically feasible, all this will characterize the entrepreneurial form of the university.

Within the framework of the entrepreneurial University there is no trace of the importance of humanitarian expertise. The entrepreneurial university is directly linked to unipolar globalization. The essence of the modern stage of social development in the formation of multipolar globalization, lies in the approval of harmony of traditions and innovations.

In the new perspective form of the university, humanitarian expertise will play an important role. Each of the directions of training of students at the university will check the final quality of their education, the connection of their theory with practice through humanitarian expertise. The exact choice of the object and the result of the educational humanitarian expertise al low conducting an objective check of the presence of all those competencies that a graduate of the university should have. Educational humanitarian expertise clearly shows teachers, students, employers that a graduate of the University is ready for direct professional activity.

The experience of educational humanitarian expertise will serve as the basis for the idea of humanitarian expertise to become the internal installation of each graduate. Accordingly, humanitarian knowledge can become an integral part of the perspective professional activity, forming the basis of stable and progressive existence and development of mankind.

Conclusion

The inclusion of the practice of humanitarian expertise in educational activities provides an opportunity for humanitarian knowledge to become an integral part of the perspective professional activities, forming the basis of stable and progressive existence and development of mankind.

The productivity of further work in this area shows the planning of the next two directions of research.

The first direction is due to the fact that the very essence of educational humanitarian expertise requires broad public attention. An example and proof of the achievement of such a result can be a million subscribers and hundreds of thousands of daily views of new internet reports on the ongoing educational humanitarian expertise. The work to achieve this result will undoubtedly enrich the training of students. The second direction is related to the fact that educational humanitarian expertise can be a very useful tool for solving specific complex problems faced by local authorities, in particular environmental ones.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (state task №13.2078.2017/4.6 on May 31, 2017).

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30 December 2018

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Cite this article as:

Maslov, V., Sosnina, E., Erdili, N., & Khorunzhii, V. (2018). Professional Activities In The Context Of Educational Humanitarian Expertise. In V. Chernyavskaya, & H. Kuße (Eds.), Professional Сulture of the Specialist of the Future, vol 51. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 398-406). Future Academy. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2018.12.02.43