Here is the importance of Arts and Humanities with historical background.
Introduction
“Science subjects will prove to be the most useful for a successful career.”
“Arts is an easy subject, and STEM education has more value than Arts and Humanities.”
Are these clichés really true, or is there more to the story?
I was 15 years old when I had to choose my special subjects for school. Suddenly, everyone had an opinion regarding how my future will be if I choose THIS or THAT subject.
One consistent advice that I used to get from my parents and their overly involved friends was, “don’t go into arts it will hurt your career aspects.”
Why Arts?
First, the impression I had been given of art degrees was completely incorrect. I want to explain why earning an art degree is not only still vital but also more valuable and fulfilling than before. The conventional division between the arts and sciences in university curricula is also a betrayal of students’ futures.
The mediaeval schools that gave rise to these academic divisions don’t reflect modern life. We can’t expect to educate today’s pupils effectively using that outdated method.
Let’s start with the first subject, which is that degrees in the arts are now more significant than ever. Liberal and creative arts, humanities, social sciences, languages, and culture are all included in degrees in the arts. Just a few examples include political science, history, education, legal studies, and theatre. The purpose of an arts degree is to provide a well-rounded education that emphasises the improvement of soft skills like writing, communication, critical thinking, and interpersonal understanding as well as a deeper knowledge of cultural differences.
Unfortunately, degrees in the arts are stigmatised because many believe they lack the technical or practical abilities required in the real world. However, STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) have experienced a surge in enrolment while arts areas have witnessed a decline. Western nations have switched financing from the arts to STEM education, putting an emphasis on work preparedness, notably the US and Australia.
However, there is a catch! Employers place a significant value on soft talents.
The top talents on LinkedIn for 2020 are listed as follows:
1. Resilience and adoptability
2. Technology Skills / Digital Fluency
3. Communication across Remote or Diverse Team
4. Emotional Intelligence
5. Collaboration
6. Leading and/or managing change
7. Dealing with Stress
8. Time management
These skills serve as predictors of long-term success in a variety of occupations. While explicit job requirements may be taught at orientation, soft skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability are more difficult to learn on the job. Students in the arts succeed in this area.
We develop our ability to write creatively and reflectively on general human issues. Through academic writings, we examine various civilizations, worldviews, feelings, and motivations. We build emotional intelligence and abstract thinking without even realising it. When preparing nightly reports, presenting successfully in seminars, supporting friends and family through difficult times, or just negotiating workplace relationships, these soft skills are put to use.
Contrary to common assumption, an education in the arts is not pointless. Although STEM graduates may start off with greater pay in their first positions, by the age of 40, this advantage starts to wane. As newer graduates pick up the newest technology, technical knowledge becomes dated, forcing older graduates to keep up while still employed. On the other hand, as professions advance, soft talents gain more and more value. A significant number of STEM graduates leave the industry because they believe their skills and knowledge are better suited for management and leadership roles as competition drives down pay and increases the supply of STEM graduates.
Three-quarters of the Fortune 100’s most successful CEOs have bachelor’s degrees in either the arts or business, according to our analysis. As a social science, business education follows the same teaching philosophy as arts education. There are outliers even in the IT sector, with philosophy and literature degrees leading organisations like Slack and YouTube.
The founders of Microsoft and Apple, respectively, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, were visionaries who saw the value of fusing technology with the liberal arts. They realised that the combination of technology and the humanities produced extraordinary outcomes. The social sciences and humanities will play a bigger part in AI development and administration as it becomes more commonplace. AI solutions will be shaped by critical thinking, ethics, and philosophical abilities.
STEM fields shouldn’t be pitted against the arts. They have to cooperate to provide a thorough education that develops students’ skills and prepares them for the dynamic labour market. We restrict kids’ potential and produce an education system that doesn’t suit contemporary requirements when we budget the arts or force them to focus on a single interest.
My Personal Experience
My lecturers often advised me that the sciences would prove to be the most beneficial for a successful career, and I still clearly recall their remarks. Cultural and social studies, on the other hand, were often written off as simple or just for pleasure. In spite of the fact that I didn’t naturally succeed in these science-based topics, I pushed myself to do so for years. I thought they were essential.
I can, however, definitely guarantee you that I could have followed my interest without ever going into the sciences throughout my high school years as a current student at the Conservatory in The Hague. Looking back, I resent the constant condescension with which social and cultural issues are discussed. They are at least as significant in my view.
I want to clarify how important social and cultural studies are nowadays!
Historical Background
Let me take you back to 1986, when Kenyan President Moi read a book that had a big influence on him. In this book, Matigari, a character, returns from the highlands in search of a meeting with the president and wonders whether the objectives of Kenyan independence have been fully attained.
President Moi immediately ordered his national police force to look for Matigari, moved by the story’s resonance. Matigari, however, was just a made-up character created by a gifted author, thus the search was fruitless. It is quite uncommon for a fictitious figure to have such a significant impact on the actual world today. Sadly, it seems that we no longer believe in the ability of imagination.
Imagination has the power to end global catastrophe. Our decisions are often influenced by an imagined future that cannot be foreseen just by statistics or quantifiable evidence. Making judgements that are future-proof based just on what we now know is inadequate. We need to be able to envision potential futures.
Additionally, imagination is essential for developing empathy, a critical trait required for creating a sustainable future. Cold numbers and abstract facts cannot compare to a well-written book on climate change or a documentary like Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” which masterfully uses storytelling approaches. Our ability to imagine the potential outcomes and consequences inspires us to take action.
All kinds of art have the capacity to spark change. Throughout history, books and creative works have fueled uprisings and challenged repressive governments. They have a distinct type of power—power that may compel reflection, arouse compassion, and spur action. Take, for instance, Multatuli’s Max Havelaar, which sparked conversations about Dutch colonisation, or Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which had an impact on the decision to abolish slavery in the United States.
The enormity of the statistics during the Holocaust, when millions of lives were cruelly lost, might seem far away and overpowering. However, we may appreciate the tragedy more fully when we immerse ourselves in novels or films that portray the lives of people or families who were impacted by such tragedies. The abstract may enter the world of human experience via the medium of art.
I want to make it clear that by focusing just on statistics and quantifiable facts, society runs the danger of relegating the future to a theoretical idea. This strategy is dangerous, especially in light of problems like immigration or climate change. Instead of recognising the opportunities and contributions people might make to society, the conversation gets obsessed on figures and immediate consequences.
The famous biologist and philosopher E.O. Wilson advocates for equal respect for what he refers to as the alpha, beta, and gamma sciences. He makes the observation that politicians have difficulty coming up with answers since these sciences are often competing with one another rather than cooperating. Similar evidence of the value of the arts may be seen in the most recent Dutch elections for parliament. It is impossible to separate the emergence of right-wing populism from a lack of openness to renewal, progress, and the arts’ crucial function in reflecting society.
Unfortunately, right-wing politics have a propensity to romanticise the past, evoking nostalgia and elevating classical or antique art over modern works. This resistance to change stifles innovation, promotes mythologization, and retards development. It serves as a sobering evidence to our lack of vision, which prevents us from seeing future possibilities as exciting and encouraging rather than dangerous or expensive.
As a result, we need to teach people to see empathy, art, and culture as essential components of society rather than as frills or quicker substitutes for the sciences. This transition has to start early and be emphasised all the way through high school and beyond. However, there is still more work to be done by educational institutions in this area.
Consider the reading lists for Dutch writers, which strongly favour classic works written mostly by white men. While these customs are very valuable, it is also crucial to promote diversity and familiarise kids with writers like Anton de Kom or Toni Morrison. We must adapt to our constantly changing reality and provide a wider viewpoint that takes into account the larger picture.
This need goes beyond literature to history, where we must consider the lingering effects of slavery and institutional racism in addition to the wealthy economy of the Dutch Golden Age. Knowing the number of parliamentary seats is just one aspect of social sciences; we also need to be aware of how many women and people of colour are represented. To create a thorough awareness of the world and advance comparative philosophy, philosophy should also go beyond the writings of Plato to include other viewpoints from Asia, Africa, and other countries.
My Advice to Students
I plead with all the 15-year-olds who are about to make crucial choices about their futures in school to think about majoring in humanities-related disciplines. One essential component must not be ignored for decision-making that is future-proof: creativity. Institutions of higher learning must undergo major change if they are to provide a range of viewpoints and guarantee fair representation. By doing this, we will open the door for a society that values empathy and the power of imagination—a society where even a despotic president may be shaken by the influence of a fictional character.
So, I hope we can persuade someone to pursue both of their hobbies while giving them advice on their educational route. The intersection of STEM and the arts may uplift the whole globe!
