The literature and the science of ‘two cultures’ historiography

Social work and the two cultures: The art and science of practice

“…How, then, are practitioners to navigate the complexity of the knowledge and discipline base which continues to inform the profession's evolution? Ortolano (2008) notes that although many commentators from diverse origins have brought the 'Two Cultures' argument into service they tend simply to recycle old positions. Instead, he advocates a historiographical approach which locates the controversy in its time, recognising its significance not simply as providing a trope which can be broadly and simplistically applied but more as indicative of a particular moment in English history.…”

“…The Cold War context for Snow’s argument, and the precise nature of the polarity he described, is now dated, meaning that any parallels with current circumstances must be drawn with caution. Nevertheless, his account of the dangers of division has continued to find an echo in many fields (Ortolano, 2008), and in January 2013 the ‘epochal essay’ which initially introduced the model was made available online for the first time (Snow, 2013) with a new edition of FR Leavis’ condemnatory response to Snow published later the same year (Leavis, 2013). Given this enduring resonance, might Snow’s ideas have anything of value to say to social work today?…”

Breaking Ranks: C. P. Snow and the Crisis of Mid-Century Liberalism, 1930–1980

“…3 For elaboration of this critique, see Ortolano (2008); in addition to Leavis (1962) reprinted with introduction in Collini (2013).…”

“…This dynamic was immediately evident in a forum shortly after Snow's original lecture in 1959, in which the contributors pivoted from their ostensible concern about the humanities and sciences to launch disparate discussions of the crisis in the plastic arts, the need to enter the space race, and the salaries of the professoriate 4 . And it continues to this day, as supposedly new ‘two cultures’ divides are invoked to call attention to very different discussions about matters ranging from public policy to national security (Ortolano 2008, 143–145). The ‘two cultures’, in short, serves less as the subject of contemplation in itself, than as a mechanism to justify the contemplation of something else.…”