Mind the Gap: Beyond the Buzzwords and Myths

Abstract

This project Mind the Gap: Beyond Buzzwords and Myths looks at the difference between what people think they know about intellectual and cultural traditions and what is actually true. It focuses on four things: Saṃskṛta, the Rāmāyaṇa, Indian philosophy and āyurveda. The study wants to understand how people connect with their heritage what they think they know and how that compares to what is really true. The research uses a combination of looking at texts and talking to people in person. A questionnaire was made to get peoples thoughts and feelings as well as facts. One hundred people from two age groups 18-28 and 40-55 were part of the study. This allows us to compare what people from ages think about Indian culture. The main idea of the project is that people who think they know a lot about history and culture often do not really understand it when you ask them specific questions. By looking at what people think and what's true the study wants to find out where people are getting things wrong or oversimplifying things. The project wants to show how these gaps affect how people feel about their culture and traditions. By pointing out things that are often overlooked and encouraging people to look at the sources it hopes to help people have a better and more thoughtful relationship with India’s intellectual past.