What Are You Going to Do with a Degree in that?: Arguing for the Humanities in an Era of Efficiency

Autor/in	Kent, Eliza F.
Titel	What Are You Going to Do with a Degree in that?: Arguing for the Humanities in an Era of Efficiency
Quelle	In: Arts and Humanities in Higher Education: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 11 (2012) 3, S.273-284 (12 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1474-0222
DOI	10.1177/1474022212441769
Schlagwörter	Higher Education; Humanities; Majors (Students); Communication Skills; Writing Skills; Critical Thinking; Thinking Skills; Theory Practice Relationship; Occupational Aspiration; Vocational Education; Career Choice; Role of Education; Proprietary Schools; Educational Finance; Publish or Perish Issue; Citizen Participation; Global Approach; Colleges; Socialization; Social Class; Career Development + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Geisteswissenschaften; Humanwissenschaften; Kommunikationsstil; Writing skill; Schreibfertigkeit; Kritisches Denken; Denkfähigkeit; Theorie-Praxis-Beziehung; Berufsneigung; Berufsziel; Ausbildung; Berufsbildung; Bildungsauftrag; Bildungsfonds; 'Citizen participation; Citizens'' participation'; Bürgerbeteiligung; Globales Denken; College; Hochschule; Fachhochschule; Socialisation; Sozialisation; Social classes; Soziale Klasse; Berufsentwicklung
Abstract	In an era in which the imperatives of global economic competition prompt institutions of higher education to promote vocational practicality and efficiency over all else, advocates of the humanities have struggled to articulate the distinctive value and contribution of our disciplines. This article seeks to develop an argument directed not at fellow academics, but at friends and parents who ask incredulously, "What are you going to do with a degree in that?" After discussing the historical shifts that have led to the present-day predicament in which majoring in English, philosophy, religion, art or a foreign language seems supremely impractical, I argue that the most important resource necessary to succeed in today's competitive marketplace is a clear, eloquent, impassioned voice. The learning exercises at the foundation of excellent humanities-based education may appear to lack any utilitarian benefit, but their long-term effect is the development of each student's individual voice, which is priceless. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10