Let’s talk about arts degrees.
Why are the curtains blue? It’s an old question that comes up a lot in reference to literary criticism. Some may argue the hypothetical curtains reflect the author’s obsession with Picasso’s “blue period.” Others may say they speak to the character’s lack of desire or complacency. They may note blue curtains in 2024 were very topical, trendy or tawdry — or that they symbolize a dystopian version of corporate Canada. But there’s one answer that always grinds my gears: “Who cares?”
We must. Communication and understanding is everything. Arts degrees — such as film studies, theatre, English, history, sociology and political science — focus on developing a student’s critical analysis, communication, argument-crafting and information-synthesis skills. These degrees ask “Why?” over and over again until students know how to provide reasoned, evidence-based answers that can be clearly understood by others.
Communication and understanding
Arts degrees are not the opposite of science, business and other university degrees. For every STEM related subject, the humanities teach essential and complementary skills.
In computer science classes, students first learn to code “Hello, World.” Then, they spend the next several years learning ways to effectively communicate through languages like Python, Java and mySQL. Is this all that different from the philosophy major? Just add a faux snakeskin belt and coffee in hand, and they too send queries out into the world until they retrieve what they’re looking for.
Jokes aside, without effective communication and analysis skills, basic job requirements would prove insurmountable. If a health professional invents a new medication, the way they present it to the public needs to recognize the intended audience’s socio-political history with Western medicine; otherwise, it would do more harm than good. They also need to pitch these new ideas to colleagues and effectively communicate the benefits of their product. All these skills are learned through an arts degree. So, despite what uncles at holiday dinners say, getting an arts degree does not bar people from employment.
Oh, but there’s no money in that field
Jason Haslam is an English professor at Dalhousie and a fierce defender of the humanities. From the angle that treats universities as mere job-training businesses, he points to vocal business leaders who increasingly desire employees with humanities-based skills
Haslam challenges the notion that arts degrees lead to worse financial futures when students graduate.
“Humanities students on average have comparable financial outcomes to many graduates from other fields,”] says Haslam.
Progressing the public good
However, Haslam believes those transferable, practical skills are secondary to the key reason that arts degrees are so important. He notes there are many arguments that assert there is a democratic purpose to education in the humanities, a public good.
However, Haslam does not think the humanities alone can save the world.
“Scholars and students of the humanities can’t agree on the meaning of even short poems, let alone on how to address current challenges to liberal democracies around the planet, climate and health emergencies, generational economic divides, wars and genocides,” says Haslam.
Yet, with the global rise of fear-mongering propaganda and harmful rhetoric, Haslam believes that the ability to think complexly about current issues is necessary.
“Studying the humanities tells us that people who spout easy answers are invariably wrong and often dangerous,” he says.
Life is complicated, even when people wish it’s not. Interrogating those easy answers can make progress seem slow, however, if someone moves forward from a false principle, that is not progress. As society continually progresses, Haslam asserts we must be able to appreciate complexity and acknowledge a variety of possibilities.
“[It] is the only way to move forward,” he says. “It’s the only way to keep moving at all.”
Arts degrees are undoubtedly important, teaching valuable transferable skills and essential communication abilities that prepare students for an uncertain future.
It’s time to reconsider those blue curtains.
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