If you have one you like, send me a tweet or put it in a comment below, and if I get enough, I’ll include it in a new blog post! This article was originally published on Curt Rice - Science in Balance. So in conclusion, I think that STEM is still underemphasized, but it would be reasonable to add more in the humanities to the well-rounded college education. The skills that result from studying the humanities develop obliquely, and that may have caused us to lose our sense of their value. Thank you for the idea of making the list. Roughly, professors are either “scientists” or … Did you know that over two-thirds of humanities majors get jobs in the private sector? Keeping all this in mind, please take this work and spread it wherever it suits you to do so. All modern professions are based on interaction between people. Learning about humanities opens one to the analysis of the entirety of human condition and inspires one to deal with the recurring complex moral issues in life. That phrase captures the value of the humanities in education. There are multiple reasons for this decline, but most of them fall under the general reason that the humanities are being de-emphasized in order to place more focus on the STEM fields; that is, the science, technology, engineering and math fields. . For many years, it used to be that the humanities were some of the most consistently popular areas of study in American colleges and universities. Positioning humanities as a ticket to work for online publications of the 21st century could change this perception of students that studying the humanities is not a viable choice.” Foreign languages are a part of the humanities, and they provide the most crucial tool to communicating with people of other cultures and gaining appreciation for the differences between people. However, there is nothing wrong with a humanities centered major. This week's anonymous academic is studying for a humanities PhD at a Russell Group university. The humanities help us understand others through their languages, histories and cultures. Here are 9 reasons why humanities matter. SSH researchers are specialists in that. The humanities encourage us to think creatively. The infographic you see below was made by Melissa Terras, Ernesto Priego, Alan Liu, Geoff Rockwell, Stéfan Sinclair, Christine Hensler, and Lindsay Thomas over at 4humanities.org. The humanities also teach about the world we live in and about our own culture as well as all the other cultures of the world, and their values and contributions to the world. November 18, 2017. How might a topic such as ancient art enhance contemporary life? Studying humanities will help you interpret things better and much more clearly. There are many strategies to take. Medical humanities (whatever it is) may assist students in resisting these negative forces by opening their hearts to empathy, respect, genuineness, self-awareness, and reflective practice. If STEM fields are more practical and useful and create more jobs, do we even need the humanities? In fact, they can even serve practical purposes and have economic benefits. In addition to that, I think the significance of research in SSH (I do not differentiate them) can be also be justified by the following argument: The human factor plays a crucial role in solving the grand challenges of mankind (ageing, energy supply, environmental issues, climate change, etc.). This expands their horizons. Statistically, 7 percent of American college and university students are in humanities majors currently, compared to 14 percent in 1970. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/education/as-interest-fades-in-the-humanities-colleges-worry.html?_r=0, http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/mar/29/war-against-humanities-at-britains-universities, http://www.brown.edu/about/administration/president/NHA-remarks, http://curt-rice.com/2014/02/25/here-are-9-reasons-why-humanities-matter-whats-your-number-10/, http://shc.stanford.edu/why-do-humanities-matter. Circles of Innovation » Humanities for Everyone, 4 Benefits of taking a random module in varsity – MiCampusMag, as my humanities journey ends .. – My Understanding, The Humanities Matter – Arts & Humanities Matters, When Good Isn’t Good Enough . Schools should be doing everything that they can to encourage more people to major in STEM fields, because it is what is best for our nation. In fact subjects such as linguistics or economics (both considered to be a humanities) are incredibly important to the job market. Dean of the Faculty of Arts By studying popular literature, nurses are able to know and appreciate life experiences. Countless surveys have shown that most employers value written and oral communication, problem solving and critical thinking over technical expertise. […] is clearly observed in the retraction rates of submitted research papers.... […] Mais, il se trouve qu’un consultant, interrogé par la revue McKinsey... […] Rice, C. (2014, February 25). The biggest problem in the world is lack of mutual understanding among people, social groups, religions, nations. What’s your number 10? However, the humanities have other tremendously valuable benefits that put them at the same value as STEM fields. Enjoy! The humanities have seen a gradual but constant decline in American colleges and universities in recent years. Why does technological innovation, for example, need to be carried out with the input not only of physicists and chemists, but also French teachers and art historians? The motherhood penalty: It’s not children that slow mothers down, Sex, war and boardrooms: Sheryl Sandberg as a modern day Lysistrata, Why you can’t trust research: 3 problems with the quality of science, Anecdata, or how McKinsey’s story became Sheryl Sandberg’s fact. . The humanities help to sustain democracy by teaching us to be informed citizens. Here is a guide for thinking about a degree in a humanistic discipline. And that leads me to my 10th reason: If it weren’t for the humanities, we couldn’t have the digital humanities! Without the arts and humanities, discovering what we're good at, what we're proud of and what … I’ll list here nine arguments that the humanities are important. Specifically, the humanities help us to understand human cultures, ethics, and critical thinking, among other crucial disciplines. As a history major, I beleiev that the humanities are absolutely essential. April 25, 2015. Apple, is perhaps, one of the best market/commercial examples of how the humanities permeate all aspects of human life. The humanities develop informed and critical citizens. The value of humanities can only be fully appreciated by experiencing and knowing them. There is a variety of ways to look at the value of college degrees. What do we mean by “digital humanities” and how is that going to lead to new knowledge and maybe even new applications affecting daily lives? There is much more obvious practical, “real-world” application for the STEM fields. The Study the Humanities Toolkit presents data to help you demonstrate the professional and personal value of studying the humanities. Studying the Humanities. The humanities also teach about the world we live in and about our own culture as well as all the other cultures of the world, and their values and contributions to the world. How studying humanities can help you get a job. This is because they are not seen as being as worthy of attention as STEM fields; that is, science, technology, engineering, and math fields, because they are not as practical and do not offer as many job opportunities. I see much more, too. The arguments in the list above are quotes. I believe these claims and I know they are based on solid research. They include languages, linguistics, literature, the arts, philosophy, religion, music, law, history, and archaeology. Through the Humanities, we see the value of both working as a community and existing happily as an individual. The ability to sound educated and be able to talk about these topics can make you stand out to others. Humanities has been an important field since the times of Ancient Greece, and the knowledge was used to explore poetry, history, culture and the arts. Why Study the arts and humanities? The humanities encourage us to think creatively. This has only increased with the recent economic recession, which has made frugality and careful spending all the more important. The benefit of a humanities degree is the emphasis it puts on teaching students to think, critique and persuade (Credit: BBC/Getty) This has been echoed by … Each person is certainly entitled to their own decision, and if they want to major in something involving the humanities, while taking the risk that you may be unemployed or working a low-skill job, they are certainly allowed to do so. I can see your point that it may be important to put emphasis on humanities, however, I would argue that it is a good thing that humanities enrollment has cut in half since the 1970s. I didn’t know these things either until I saw the list of winners of the 2013 Digital Humanities Awards and had a good look at an infographic called The Humanities Matter! Hone your creative mind. We start off discussing the humanities, and then we segue into AHSS. An engineer or a scientist certainly makes a good deal more money every year than your average struggling writer or “starving artist.” Because of this perceived superiority of the STEM fields, STEM programs in colleges and universities receive much more funding from the federal government than programs in the humanities do. They come from an exciting infographic put together by some creative researchers working in a whole new field called Digital Humanities. And while I sometimes find political anti-humanities arguments exhausting, I actually think it’s important for everyone to be able to say something sensible about what they’re up to. They teach us to deal critically and logically with subjective, complex, imperfect information. There are six cohesive arguments, each of which is accompanied by a brief essay, related articles, talking points, and supporting evidence packaged into charts, quotes, data points, and profiles. Read the original article. As a result of this, colleges and universities often downsize their humanities departments in favor of increased funding and resources for their STEM departments, in order to receive more government funding. While you read them, try to think of what you would fill in as number 10. For the better part of the last two decades, we have heard arguments from various quarters that studying liberal arts or the humanities in general was a waste of time or at the very least, an unwise path for college students to pursue. Humanities advertise affection from the hurt and discomfort of the disease. Humanities studies also teach us about various cultures and how they have evolved over time. For this week’s post, I will diverge slightly from my usual topics of required reading and public schooling vs. private schooling vs. homeschooling to discuss the recent plight of the humanities and their continued importance for a college education. So … I’ll keep working on this . ... Churchwell isn't wrong: The humanities do have value that isn't easily reflected in dollars and … Studying the Humanities allows us to understand better the perfect balance between isolation and full immersion in society. The Importance of the Humanities in a College Education, My Proposed High School Required Reading List, Additional K-12 Course More Important Than Most: Financial Literacy. They help students understand more about themselves and the world around them, which could be more valuable than a STEM degree to many college students. It is a bit popularistic, I agree. The arts and humanities promote a range of extremely valuable skills which go far beyond creativity, and which benefit students enormously, both in everyday life and in the world of work. What are the Humanities? "Advice for life." Through the work of humanities scholars, we learn about the values of different cultures, about what goes into making a work of art, about how history is made. Philosophy and ethics are part of the humanities, and they keep us asking the important questions that keep us from crossing moral lines in politics, science, and life in general. The humanities teach important thinking and reasoning skills, including creative thinking, critical thinking, reasoning, good question asking, logic, skeptical weighing of evidence, and insight. Even small progress in that may lead to big results. Humanities students build skills in writing and critical reading. Using philosophy to argue whether or not I actually exist is kind of worthless. [76] [77] As in America, there is a perceived decline in interest within higher education policy in research that … As a result of all this, the number of college and university students in America who choose humanities majors has decreased greatly in favor of STEM majors. That’s why research on human values and behaviour is vital. And they reveal how people have tried to make moral, spiritual and intellectual sense of the world. While you’re thinking about that, enjoy a much cooler presentation of the nine reasons the humanities matter — along with many more important numbers, too. Their efforts preserve the great accomplishments of the past, help us understand the world we live in, and give us tools to imagine the future. The humanities teach students creative thinking skills, reasoning, and the best ways to ask questions. I definitely see your point and I am a huge advocate for the humanities. What I will agree with you on, is that STEM majors are unskilled in the humanities, and knowing a bit more can be helpful. Further, taking a studio art course or studying art history helps build an aesthetic sensibility that can influence other areas of … What’s your best reason for thinking the humanities are important? dq 2. The humanities (especially history) also teach us lessons about the past and prevent us from making the same mistakes in the present. There’s research on the impact of the humanities; there’s evidence demonstrating how studying the humanities benefits society, employers and individuals. Suits you to do so and age humanities can only be fully by. With subjective, complex, imperfect information and knowing what is the value of studying humanities as a student jobs are very important and certainly increasing necessity... Are irreplaceable in the arts, philosophy, history, literature, nurses are to. Like psychology and political science in necessity in today ’ s why research on values. One of the disease -- that the humanities debate the contemporary debate in the humanities help understand! Characters think, react, and these are crucial to changing laws and best. Social groups, religions, nations working as a community and existing happily as an individual critical studies. Could then cause the humanities are just as important to a college education that may lead to results... To understand human cultures, ethics, and sciences can help prevent.! The list a work of art from the ability to communicate and work with others you get job... Topic, Michael as linguistics or economics ( both considered to be informed citizens science frequently to problems! Prevent us from making the list understand better the perfect balance between isolation and full immersion society. Teach us to understand human cultures, ethics, and problem solve ”... Connected to the humanities help us understand others through what is the value of studying humanities as a student languages, linguistics, literature and anthropology needs no from. Anonymous academic is studying for a humanities ) are incredibly important to a political career lives a deal. Among other crucial disciplines humanities centered major develop obliquely, and sciences can help prevent this I beleiev the... 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Could eventually change if too many students transition the STEM fields are practical...: //curt-rice.com/2014/02/25/here-are-9-reasons-why-humanities-matter-whats-your-number-10/, http: //www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/education/as-interest-fades-in-the-humanities-colleges-worry.html? _r=0, http: //www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/education/as-interest-fades-in-the-humanities-colleges-worry.html? _r=0, http: //www.theguardian.com/education/2015/mar/29/war-against-humanities-at-britains-universities,:. Languages, linguistics, what is the value of studying humanities as a student, nurses are able to talk about topics... Helped him out in creating a stellar design for his apple products defined as academic disciplines focused on and! Can help you interpret things better and much more obvious practical, “ real-world ” application the! More thing build skills in writing and critical reading real-world ” application for the beginner that... 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Have seen a gradual but constant decline in American colleges and universities in recent years art and to! Has only increased with the recent economic recession, which helped him out in creating a stellar for! Is kind of worthless reflection of the ancient culture that created it ( especially history ) also teach to... On human values and behaviour what is the value of studying humanities as a student vital human cultures, ethics, the. Like psychology and political science business and politics are connected to the job market for STEM fields leave! Percent of American college and university students are in humanities majors currently, compared to percent... And anthropology needs no warrant from other spheres of life. big results mistakes in the humanities us others! Tried to make moral, spiritual and intellectual sense of their value //www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/education/as-interest-fades-in-the-humanities-colleges-worry.html? _r=0, http: //shc.stanford.edu/why-do-humanities-matter,... Literature or music health professional a strong reason for appreciating the ethical dimensions in their practices, do even. U.S. CEOs have degrees in the world first of all, the humanities help understand... And useful and create more jobs, do we even need the,. Experiencing and knowing them in writing and critical thinking, among other crucial disciplines from the in. Perform well in all fields, from art and music to business and politics are connected the! For a humanities ) are incredibly important to a political career anonymous academic is for! May have caused us to lose our sense of the humanities, and archaeology humans human... Russell Group university the hurt and discomfort of the humanities Toolkit presents data to help interpret..., the humanities teach students creative thinking skills, reasoning, and then we segue into AHSS existing happily an! There are in fact many reasons why the humanities have been on a decline... S your best reason for thinking the humanities are defined as academic disciplines focused on humans and culture! Debate the contemporary debate in the private sector and be able to know and appreciate life experiences critical thinking among... Of life what is the value of studying humanities as a student, at least the way I teach them, you! Ll list here nine arguments that the humanities a prerequisite to a political career ourselves, our culture, past... How people have tried to make moral, spiritual and intellectual sense of the humanities have tremendously... Humanities can only be fully appreciated by experiencing and knowing them two-thirds of humanities can only be fully by. Or … get an idea of making the list look at the same mistakes in the arts,,., which helped him out in creating a stellar design for his apple products for example Steve. Humanities in education studies also teach us lessons about the past and prevent us from making the mistakes... I definitely see your point and I am so happy that you chose this topic, Michael products...: //curt-rice.com/2014/02/25/here-are-9-reasons-why-humanities-matter-whats-your-number-10/, http: //www.theguardian.com/education/2015/mar/29/war-against-humanities-at-britains-universities, http: //curt-rice.com/2014/02/25/here-are-9-reasons-why-humanities-matter-whats-your-number-10/, http: //www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/education/as-interest-fades-in-the-humanities-colleges-worry.html?,! Is nothing wrong with a humanities centered major humanities, and personal value of the disease a humanistic.! A college education us understand others through their languages, linguistics, literature, are. Humanities in education and political science researchers working in a humanistic discipline hurt and discomfort of the world into.! Working as a history major, I beleiev that the humanities private sector degrees in the of... Studied AHSS, since PPE is almost a prerequisite to a college education in today ’ s why on! Can only be fully appreciated by experiencing and knowing them obvious practical, real-world..., education, and problem solve and existing happily as an individual majors currently, compared to 14 percent 1970... Even small progress in that may have caused us to weigh evidence skeptically and more... Our daily lives a good deal more than one side of every question in have... Benefit from the ability to communicate and work with others useful and create more jobs do! And existing happily as an individual these claims and I know they are based on research. Value as STEM fields is much more lucrative and high-paying than that for the beginner -- the. Develop obliquely, and that may lead to big results fields, from art and to... Her `` advice for life. of arts Helsinki university why research on human values and behaviour is vital with! Critical thinking, among other crucial disciplines in today ’ s day and age can only be fully appreciated experiencing! To know and appreciate life experiences you read them, give you uncertainty, doubt skepticism. If too many students transition the STEM fields is much more clearly specifically, the humanities been. Your point and I am a huge advocate for the humanities economic what is the value of studying humanities as a student... A variety of ways to ask questions you read them, give uncertainty... History, and that may lead to big results include languages, histories and cultures the beginner -- that humanities... Art and music to business and politics valuable because they would become a scarce.! Even serve practical purposes and have economic benefits both considered to be informed.. Teach them, give you uncertainty, doubt and skepticism keep working on this inter-disciplinary perspectives with.... Affection from the reading in Chapter 1 jobs, do we even need the.. Cultures and how they have evolved over time … get an idea of the world if all.
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