Most of us
come from parts of
If there is
a common response to materials presented in these courses, it's something to
the effect of "I've always wondered where that came from." Humanities courses give students all the
benefits of history courses. But rather than focusing on the battles, dates and
names, humanities courses give students a sense of how things fit together. We
trace the development of architecture from the post and lentil construction of
One of the advantages of humanities courses is that it allows a very intentional discussion of the things one is never supposed to talk about in polite company - beginning with politics and religion! Humanities is more than learning facts and figures - the "what?" of learning. It's learning the "So what? What difference does it make?" It's the chance to raise questions about mysteries we've wondered about, sometimes for a long time. It's a chance to hear how others respond to the same questions we answer but with very different ways of answering them. Often we learn as much from each other as from our texts or teachers.
Most of us come to college with beliefs systems we have largely inherited. Statistically speaking, we are most likely to hold the same political views and practice the same religion as our parents or other significant others in our lives. For some students, college provides a major shock when those beliefs are called into question or even shown to be based on questionable premises. Such encounters bring us face to face with ourselves and requires us to ask the question, "So, what do I believe and why?" This can sometimes prove a bit painful. But the end product of self-reflection is an awareness of one's biases, one's beliefs and the limits of those beliefs. In other words, you may well come out of a humanities class with your own beliefs only now with a sense of why you believe them. That ought to come in handy in a diverse society where asserting that "Everybody knows that" or "It's common sense" may well not be true.
Most students walk into art galleries and sum up pieces of art with the assessment, "That isn't art, anyone can do that!" Of course, that's not true. But it's an easy way to avoid considering who the artist was, what they were up to and what ideas they might be expressing. If we think of the expressive humanities - art, architecture, literature, music, dance, film - as the expression of a particular language, humanities courses serve as crash courses in speaking those languages. Many students find that they are able to appreciate being in an art gallery when they actually know something about what they're seeing and its significance. Besides, if we're being honest with ourselves, we know there's more to life than video games and Nick at Night. There's a lot to know about our world and the human beings who created and continue to create it. Humanities courses are good starting places for that journey.
The analytical and critical thinking skills taught in a humanities course are readily applicable in law, nursing, engineering, international relations and hospitality management, to name a few. The abilities to reflect upon one's understandings, to be open to the other, to express one's ideas verbally and in writing in an informative and interesting manner are all major plusses in rewarding careers in virtually any field one could name. Learning to work together is a key skill for any career one might enter. There's not much call for the rugged, individualist hermit these days.
In the 2005 edition of the Princeton Review of Graduate Schools, the article on medical schools admission processes reported that med schools are looking for well-rounded students, not those sharply but narrowly honed in the sciences. What makes a student well-rounded? According to the Princeton Review, Humanities majors and minors for one thing! Why? Because the medical profession wants doctors who are capable of relating to other human beings. Many professions are requiring workers to take cultural diversity courses to insure their ability to work in diverse cultures. Lawyers seeking to avoid malpractice suits often attend seminars designed to expose them to the cultural values of others and how to respond to them in a positive manner. Humanities majors and minors have a leg up on the professional world. But even the student of the introductory classes can come away with an advantage.
One of the advantages of humanities courses is that their relatively small class size permits discussion in class, group work with other students and the opportunity for class and instructor to get to know each other. Humanities instructors often write letters of recommendation and serve as references for students who often have few instructors who actually know them. It is not unusual to find students from humanities classes showing up in the offices of their instructors long after the semester is over to discuss something they've been thinking about that involves the Humanities. Humanities subject matter is human beings and their expressions of their humanity. As such humanities courses tend to be a bit more personal, less detached than other courses might be.
Another advantage of small classes where students are required to work together in groups and participate in class discussions is that students get to know each other. That's a major change from the auditorium where you sit with 300 of your most intimate friends. The subject matter of the humanities lends itself to discussions which allow the humanity of others to be known. To borrow a rather hackneyed phrase, "You can meet the nicest people in humanities classes."
Let's see: new ideas, new cultures, discussions of otherwise forbidden subjects, coming to understand yourself and the world around you, getting to know new people and possibly nailing down a reference or letter of recommendation for future plans. Sounds an awful lot like fun.