Unit 2 – Week 5

In Colombia, we have this common expression – “ponerse la 10″ – which literally translates to putting on the number 10. It comes from football players who are the team captains and normally wear the number 10 on the back of their tshirt. This expression is used when someone takes action with an initiative, leads a group, or solves something people have been dreading. It basically means being someone who moves a situation forward.

You can hear it in every type of situation:

• In a group of friends when someone leaves the party to buy more beer for the group: “se puso la 10.”
• In a workplace, when someone goes to ask the boss if there’s going to be a raise this year: “se puso la 10.”
• Between siblings, when one decides and buys the present for their parents for Christmas: “se puso la 10.”

I’m normally someone who has that number 10 on their back. I like to be responsible and act fast with structure, so when I have teamwork, I tend to assume most of the tasks. That leads me to sometimes hating being the number 10 person because it translates into not an equitable division of labor. But then also, I wonder how much of that is self-imposed. For example, this week we had to prepare the final presentation. We all did our parts of the investigation, and the information looked good, but the design part of it looked bad – through my eyes. It seemed like someone grabbed the information and used AI to make the ppt, but it looked disarticulated. No one said anything about it, so I just said to myself and to the group, I’ll do it. I put on the 10 and redesigned it, but I was slightly annoyed that no one else offered. I didn’t mention that to my group because reflecting on it, they all have put on number 10 at different times, sometimes in tiny stuff that is not easily appreciated, and also because I quite enjoy doing ppts.

I think collaborative work is a constant state of wearing that number 10 on the back and doing stuff and also, sometimes letting someone else wear it. In general, I think that’s how we worked as a group. There was no particular tension but we handled and managed uncertainty with the tools we had, and I think we prospered into a good outcome.

I’m thankful for my group and these weeks.

Unit 2- Week 4

I absolutely loved the lecture we had about AI and the future of work because it practically laid out the considerations we should have with the information that exists about AI. It made me think of how now a days we are constantly talking about how to prepare for the future, but the truth is, we don’t really know what we are preparing for so it’s -in a way- kinda useless. Are we simply telling ourselves lies to move forward? Nevertheless, the reflections on the means of work were extremely enriching, and in the end, AI is just that, a means of work, much like the hammer that once revolutionized the way understand manual work.

Despite these advances that seem so relevant, making us understand society as such a complex figure, this week we witnessed how we are still so primarly human. There was an act of bullying in a class which lead to a lot of conflict and segregation between our classes. I found it absolutely unbelievable that this was happening in a master’s class, and especially that the next day we all went to a lecture as if none of it had happened. I know that handling such situations is complicated, but I would have liked to hear a more active and immediate response to inappropriate behaviors by certain individuals. On my part, I can’t stop thinking that it is important to initiate a disciplinary process since bullying and such behaviors reflect a superiority complex that NO ONE should have, and it deeply hurts that this occurred in front of everyone. This course is obsessed with the word “positionality,” and sometimes I feel we have used it to our advantage because we prefer to remain silent rather when we should shout and manifest our inconformities.

But who prepares you for that?

Unit 2 – Week 3

Dear Positionality,

At what moment in life does one become aware of you? You are always there, from the moment we are born, but it’s only after someone mentions you that I became aware of your presence in my life. To be fair, being away from my country has made me reanalyze you. Sometimes I don’t feel as comfortable as I used to, and I realized it’s because you’ve changed.

Sometimes I love you, sometimes I don’t. The fact is you will always be here and probably will show me different aspects of you – of me.

(To be continued)

Carolina

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From Sasha’s class

Having to make a list of the things that make me who I am was a comforting challenge. Being away from home has sometimes led me to lose some parts of myself to blend in more easily. Even so, I’ve never felt more Latina in my life. Still, thinking and reflecting about my list reminded me of many of the reasons why I’m here, and it’s to create change. That’s why being aware of my positionality is such an important thing to do, and I really value our spaces to do so, but I recognize it should be something done daily in our lives.

Another thing that left me thinking after Sasha’s session was the list of attributes workers of the future will have to master: adaptability, curiosity, empathy, and agency. In the end, he said these future workers will be heroes, but in a way, those attributes are still needed nowadays, and in a way, we – today’s workers – are heroes too! We are just too deep in our reality to see it, but we truly are heroes in the way we adapt to every single change the world has.

About teamwork:

During this week, I valued teamwork a lot since I was feeling a little bit under the weather, and my group went and had an interview with Alessandro, a librarian from the British Library. A very crucial part of teamwork is being able to rely and trust in and I felt I could do that with my team.

Unit 2 – Week 2

How to Create Truly Functional Teams?

When considering the idea of a functional team as a formula, numerous factors come into play. However, reflecting on my personal experience, I believe the most crucial element is establishing a connection between team members. Creating a sense of camaraderie and allowing for vulnerability significantly enhances group dynamics. Undoubtedly, this is not an easy task, given that individuals may not share the same interests or personalities.

I’ve observed some groups in my course struggling. Some conversations about this issue reveal that they may not have invested time in understanding each other. There’s only this need to accomplish the task and that’s it. Fortunately, in our group, we’ve made conscious efforts to create a positive environment by showing genuine interest in each other’s lives. As a result, people seem more open and engaged.

In all honesty, I also think luck plays a role. Some teams click from the beginning, while others don’t. A recent experience at the university’s Creative Hack made me think of this. All participants were asked to form groups quickly, and despite choosing a group with a positive vibe, good intentions, and friendliness, our ideas didn’t flourish. Group work can often feel frustrating, to be fair.

Shifting subjet, I’d like to reflect on this week’s seminars. Frankly, I struggled to grasp most of the concepts presented. If we aim to develop tools for effective group work, incorporating team-forming sessions is essential, perhaps more than discussions on compassion or the impact of coffee. I acknowledge the importance of class reflections, but I also believe that actively creating cohesive groups could be more efficient, especially considering the diverse backgrounds we have. While such scenarios might not be common in real life, having the tools and knowledge can empower us to propose similar strategies in the future.

Unit 2- Week 1

During my first semesters of Law, while studying the different theories of Justice, including Rawls and Kant, I remember reading The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas when we started reading into altruistic theories. It was a long time ago, so I forgot the name and regularly tried to Google it, but I never found it again. However, it remained a significant part of my journey as a law student. The moral dilemma it presented, sacrificing the happiness of a few for the greater good, reflects on our own society every day. When are we the child inside the room, and when are we the people watching? It depends on our positionality and how it fluctuates with our relationship with power. Are we gonna be in any moment able to walk away from Omela? But most importantly, do we want to?

That story followed me from my past into my present, shaping what was originally my future.

This week, I have also reflected on the narratives we possess and sometimes adopt, even if they don’t truly belong to us. But who decides what these narratives are? Can anyone really know? I believe it’s about what feels personal to you, and sometimes people impose narratives on us. Then, when are we having real narratives for us?

Have I ever had the power to choose my own narrative, truly? Have I ever imposed narratives into peoples minds? If so, I’m sorry, I guess part of my own narratives where imposed from the begginig. Or am just saying that to feel good with myself?

Many questions, and still, unclear answers.

Just to conclude, I’m delighted that I finally found the name of the text I’ve been contemplating for so long. That story was kinda my Roman Empire (tiktok reference) for so long.