Student 27

Object 1: Pad

The item presented is a pad and the creation of it dates back centuries ago. The shift between society’s values and morals towards menstruation has shifted drastically as more knowledge became available. Before, in the 1800s, women used DIY sanitary products or allowed their clothing to absorb the blood. However, during WWII, nurses discovered that cellulose was far more absorbent than cloth bandages, which inspired the creation of the first manufactured pads. Even though women were provided with better options to deal with their periods, many were afraid to purchase them due to social stigma. On the contrary, even though there was a social stigma, in the 1920s, periods were seen less as a realm of whispers and folk knowledge and more of a marketing opportunity. Due to the manufacturing of pads, companies, such as Kotex, started advertising, breaking social norms. As the topic became more openly discussed, more research was conducted, providing new knowledge which has shaped modern-day beliefs about periods.

This object is important to me because it has provided an effective way of dealing with periods and provides knowledge about the functions of the female body. By having this knowledge, it has influenced my beliefs and values surrounding periods. The object links to knowledge changing established values and beliefs because it shows how the knowledge gained from WWII, providing a new manufacturing opportunity, led to a shift in society. Due to the knowledge gained it has shaped my perception of periods, making me see it as more of a natural process than a process to be embarrassed about.

This object was included in the exhibition because it tells a story of the changes women have faced within society surrounding periods, giving me an interpersonal connection to it. Even though today, menstruation is still frowned upon in society, there has been a shift in society’s values and beliefs surrounding menstruation due to new knowledge.

Object 2: History Textbook about the Causes and Effects of 20th Century Wars

The item presented is a history textbook, published in 2015 by David M. Smith, about the causes and effects of 20th century wars. The book has information from a variety of sources on various topics, explaining what caused conflicts and how conflicts ended in the 20th century. The knowledge presented provides different points of views that may vary from textbook to textbook. This book has influenced my beliefs because it has allowed me to establish different beliefs and values due to the various retelling of a single event in history. The different retelling has shown me that history is a subjective topic and that we can never be 100% confident that the story that we’re hearing is accurate. By gaining knowledge of a different perspective, it allows people to develop a better understanding of the beliefs and values of people during a specific event in history.

The textbook presented is made specifically for the IB Diploma Programme which means that the information and the format would differ from an AP Program textbook, for example. As a student who has taken both, AP and IB, I can say that the different format presentations of information are due to the different beliefs and values of IB and AP. AP focuses more on allowing students to earn college credit, establishing an absolute right, while IB focuses more on critical thinking, global awareness, and accepts that an absolute right doesn’t exist. Since these values are drastically different, it influences how and what knowledge is presented, affecting the values and beliefs of people.

This object links to how new knowledge can change established values or beliefs since it provides one of the many ways history is presented. Gaining the knowledge presented in the textbook allows people to develop a better understanding of the causes and effects of conflicts from the 20th century from the perspective of the IB Diploma Programme. By including this object in the exhibition it explains how the new knowledge gained from a different perspective has influenced my beliefs and can influence the values and beliefs of other people.

Object 3: Thermometer

The item presented is a thermometer and was originally created by Santorio Santorio around 1612. When the thermometer was first created, there was limited knowledge about the best ways of measuring temperature. Many people copied a format similar to Santorio’s, but none of the thermometers registered the same temperature. Due to the lack of knowledge, there were various beliefs that conflicted with one another because no one knew which thermometer was accurate. Then, Fahrenheit discovered new knowledge that led to the creation of a more accurate thermometer, changing the measurements of temperature. When doing so, beliefs surrounding standardized temperature changed. Before, it was believed that the freezing point of water was 7.5 degrees, but after gaining new knowledge, that led to the creation of a more accurate thermometer, it was discovered that the freezing point of water is 0. The changes that occurred changed the beliefs of scientists in relations to temperature, heavily impacting how science is taught.

This object was included in my exhibition because it has influenced various realms of my life.

For example, there have been times when I've had a headache, believing that it was severe. After using a thermometer, however, and seeing that my temperature wasn’t that high, it changed my beliefs surrounding the headache. Along with that, the knowledge that I gain from the thermometer in reference to weather has influenced what appropriate clothing I should wear. Sometimes when getting up in the mornings, I believe that it’s cold outside, but after looking at the thermometer and seeing that it’s warm, it changes my beliefs pertaining to the weather of the day.

This object shows how the beliefs of people in reference to temperature have changed due to new knowledge.