NYT Article: Humanties Must Justify their Worth

[synthla]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/books/25human.html

... But in this new era of lengthening unemployment lines and shrinking university endowments, questions about the importance of the humanities in a complex and technologically demanding world have taken on new urgency. Previous economic downturns have often led to decreased enrollment in the disciplines loosely grouped under the term

[Ardea]

.

[Yellow#5]

And yet, the humanities are often just as transformative to our quality of life as the sciences are.

Does anyone think that there would be widespread tolerance of gay partnerships, even marriage in some states, tough domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, harassment in the workplace laws and cultural advancement regarding these issues if gender, trauma, power relationships weren't discussed so frequently and openly in the university, while the working stiffs of the world trudge out the door in the morning with blinders on?

We didn't get from 1950 to now just by waiting. It happened because, after the war, suddenly everyone went to school and in turn, encouraged their kids to do so too.

[curiousgeorge]

Yeah, doesn't the article sort of gloss over the centrality of humanities scholarship in advancing the visibility/importance of identity politics during the past 40 years? For good or ill, this is usually what I think of when I think "humanities."

[StrangeLight]

Does anyone think that there would be widespread tolerance of gay partnerships, even marriage in some states, tough domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, harassment in the workplace laws and cultural advancement regarding these issues if gender, trauma, power relationships weren't discussed so frequently and openly in the university, while the working stiffs of the world trudge out the door in the morning with blinders on?

yes. i give the working stiffs far more credit than that. people can learn about equality and the use and abuse of power without going to university.

man, sorry. i agree that the humanities are really important and don't even need to be justified, but it's opinions like that that make me dread the thought of living in a college town.