The Importance of the Humanities in a College Education

by Michael J. Cawley IV

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.

First of all, the humanities are defined as academic disciplines focused on humans and human culture. They include languages, linguistics, literature, the arts, philosophy, religion, music, law, history, and archaeology. 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. In recent years, however, the humanities have been on a steady decline in American colleges and universities. 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.

The reason for colleges and universities emphasizing the STEM fields over the humanities is that overall, for a number of reasons, the STEM fields are regarded as more important, serious lines of study than the humanities. There is much more obvious practical, “real-world” application for the STEM fields. We use math and science frequently to solve problems in our daily lives a good deal more than we use literature or music. Also, the job market for STEM fields is much more lucrative and high-paying than that for the humanities. 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. 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. This has only increased with the recent economic recession, which has made frugality and careful spending all the more important. 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. Statistically, 7 percent of American college and university students are in humanities majors currently, compared to 14 percent in 1970.

The question you may well be asking right now is, why does this all matter? If STEM fields are more practical and useful and create more jobs, do we even need the humanities? The answer to this is that there are in fact many reasons why the humanities are essential to a college education. In fact, they can even serve practical purposes and have economic benefits.

The humanities teach important thinking and reasoning skills, including creative thinking, critical thinking, reasoning, good question asking, logic, skeptical weighing of evidence, and insight. 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. 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. 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. Law and politics are connected to the humanities, and these are crucial to changing laws and the world. The humanities help to sustain democracy by teaching us to be informed citizens. The knowledge of other civilizations the humanities give us allow us to better deal and trade with other countries, and this combined with the skills in logic and critical reasoning offered by the humanities can help us to make more intelligent and thoughtful economic decisions.

The humanities have seen a gradual but constant decline in American colleges and universities in recent years. 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. However, the humanities have other tremendously valuable benefits that put them at the same value as STEM fields. Specifically, the humanities help us to understand human cultures, ethics, and critical thinking, among other crucial disciplines. To conclude, the humanities are just as important to a well-rounded education as the STEM fields and should be treated as such.

 

Sources:

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

4 thoughts on “The Importance of the Humanities in a College Education

  1. Stephanie Reed Springer

    I am so happy that you chose this topic, Michael! As a history major, I beleiev that the humanities are absolutely essential. I think it is important to be able to think critically and read and write well, all of which you learn in the humanities. The humanities (especially history) also teach us lessons about the past and prevent us from making the same mistakes in the present. Humanities give us knowledge of ourselves, our culture, our past and help make us interesting, unique people. Wouldn’t you rather discuss history or literature with someone than talk about physics? The ability to sound educated and be able to talk about these topics can make you stand out to others.

  2. Brenna Fisher

    I definitely see your point and I am a huge advocate for the humanities. I think STEM jobs are very important and certainly increasing in necessity in today’s day and age. However, there is nothing wrong with a humanities centered major. In fact subjects such as linguistics or economics (both considered to be a humanities) are incredibly important to the job market. They encompass skills a STEM major may never be expert in, and we need more diversity in the job market, not hundreds of people with the same degree.

  3. jow5365

    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. 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. In terms of nationwide economic growth, skills and applied knowledge are crucial, even if they come from a tech school instead of a 4-year college. 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. The STEM majors are the reason why I am typing this comment on a well-designed laptop, why the Internet is a great source of communication, and how I can carry an amazing device in my own pocket. Using philosophy to argue whether or not I actually exist is kind of worthless. What I will agree with you on, is that STEM majors are unskilled in the humanities, and knowing a bit more can be helpful. For example, Steve Jobs took calligraphy courses in college, which helped him out in creating a stellar design for his Apple products. 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.

  4. Corey Capooci

    I agree that humanities are irreplaceable in the context of a well-rounded education. 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. Also, students right now who are in the STEM fields might only be pursuing them because a broad consensus says that it is the best way to get a job.
    This could eventually change if too many students transition the STEM fields and leave a dearth in the humanities. This could then cause the humanities to become more valuable because they would become a scarce commodity. As of now, I find it hard for a transition to humanities any time soon because of all the focus on STEM majors.

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