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The importance of humanities in the present day context
The importance of humanities in the present day context
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“Don’t do that. You’ll never get a job.” Such was the response of one of my favorite teachers to the interest that I had voiced in history as a potential field of study. A teacher whose class a friend and I had enjoyed so much we had taken time out of a weekday afternoon to come visit her. Sure, my response contrasted pretty acutely with that of my friend who wanted to pursue a career in computational linguistics, but history is my genuine interest. In an environment that constantly peddles science and technology careers, it’s hard to love history and literature.
It’s nonsensical to believe that every sixteen-year old should know what he or she wants to do with his or her life, and even more so to discourage someone from pursuing his or her interests. In a capitalist society, it makes sense that average salaries a few years out from college graduation would strongly influence the interests of many young people. It’s not uncommon to come across newspaper articles or editorials bemoaning the United States’ lack of engineers or glut of unemployed English majors. It’s even more common to...
Hey, Computer Sciences Stop Hating on The Humanities is a magazine article written by Emma Pierson (2017) for employers seeking programmers and universities with computer science programs in which, Pierson addresses the consequences of ignoring the teachings of the humanities in universities. However, with the emphasis Pierson (2017) places on her ‘‘worrisome” thoughts and “difficult dilemma” she has on “algorithms” in paragraphs three and four and in conjunction with McLuhan’s (2009) philosophy of facing the anxiety that comes with critically analyzing flawed “algorithms” that “Narcosis narcotic” hides (para.16), the issue that Pierson targets is really the dependence that systems place on blind and arrogant programmers of flawed “algorithms” that cause “social disparities” (para. 4). These “social disparities” (para. 4) arise because of the programmer’s lack of education and respect or the humanities in moral decision making that universities can teach.
A majority of people believe that graduating from college will result in a well-paying job. Unfortunately, a degree will not secure a job for many graduates. In the U.S., the jobless rate for college graduates in 2012 was 7.7 percent, and has further increased in the past five years(Robinson). With such a large pool of unemployed citizens for employers to choose from, recent graduates are facing fewer opportunities for work due to little or no previous work experience(Robinson). Although many graduates are faced with unemployment, the majority do receive the opportunity to work. Sadly, many must work jobs they do not enjoy for salaries that make it difficult to make ends meet(Debate). Students are faced with mortgage-sized debts upon graduation, making it difficult for them to start businesses, buy cars or houses, or make other investments that would better the
In the passage,” Go to College” by Arthur Digby Sellers, Sellers recommend good points that parents say to persuade their teens who do not wish to attend college. Teens who confront their parents on this issues, believe that they would be better off if they did not attend college but instead, started to work immediately or travel the world believing that they have a chance of becoming the next Bill Gates or Magellan. The recommended answers that Seller suggest parents should give to their teens to the same answers that he gave to his, and convinced them to attend college.
...ing the mindset of the students to aspire for jobs that they will be able to pay off their hefty loans. Students aren’t reaching for their passion but rather an apathetic job that society is forcing on them.
Millennials are well on their way to redefining the “American Dream.” In a world where they have to constantly exercise critical thinking to financially survive the debts the average Millennial life incurs, suggesting that their reluctance to fall into the status quo will hurt them is a stagnant, inflexible view. It only hurts those entrenched in a narrow worldview limited to one accepted lifestyle and standard of living. To this life, Millennials are thoroughly disillusioned. They’re causing all these economic ‘problems’ because they aren’t buying into the hazy suburban complacency that the traditional dream represents. It’s not just that it costs too much to get there, it’s mostly that it’s hardly achievable. Contemporary high school is less of a system for education as it is an Olympic triathlon. Students must jump through every well-nigh arbitrary hoop, competing against each other for the most scholarship money based on the right opinion said in the right words. Who was in the most meaningless clubs at the same time? Who happened to attend a school with the most extra-curricular activities or AP courses? When school – that
Many kids beginning the college - decision process may be feeling lost at first, and ”By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what, we are actually doing some of them a disservice.”(Owen and Sawhill 209) For a seventeen/eighteen year old, going to college is arguably the biggest decision that they have had to make in their life thus far, and having the facts that Owen and Sawhill produce can be invaluable to the decision-making process. It is clear that the purpose of their essay is to better inform these young adults and guide them on their journey that is life after high school. The primary claim that Owen and Sawhill attempt to drive in using rhetorical appeals is that on average, having a college degree will lead to a higher income than not having one; however, it is not universally
In the article “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree” by Marty Nemko, the author argues several different views on why higher education may be very overestimated. For starters, the author shares his opinion more than anything else due to him being a career counselor. The purpose of this essay is to explain to the readers that most people start off with the idea of living the American Dream. Which is practically going to college to have a better life and career. But over the time the idea of working very hard for a Bachelor’s degree has become very dimmed. Furthermore, for some people, when they think of the American Dream they think of hope for bettering themselves and also helping their families. Unlike the author, Nemko feels that even the thought of trying to pursue to get a bachelor’s degree is overrated. The audience of this passage would most likely be teenagers going into college and parents. Nemko states that “Colleges are quick to argue that a college education is more
Shiffman believes that the drop in interest in the humanities results in the inability of students to have clear bearings amid life’s uncertainties. He believes that only by studying the humanities will students be able to introspect and recognize that endless achievement may not add up to a meaningful life (Shiffman 5). However, Shiffman fails to realize that this form of reflection need not be done solely by those majoring in the humanities. It can be done by all who try, their fields of study are no limitation. In fact, it may be this same reflection that leads to an individual’s decision to prioritize practicality. Not all those who choose the practical path are doing it for themselves. Many may do it for their families, as a safe and stable means of supporting their loved ones. Others may take this opportunity to give back to their community through the ways they are most skilled. Instead of pursuing a single interest in a certain field, they choose to follow their various callings. Doing solely what an individual loves is a self-centered view of the world. While it is important to chase happiness, it is also important to reflect on what one is doing to spread happiness to the rest of the world. One must find something that they are good at, and put that into the world. They should contribute to others and help the world be better, in addition to following their passions. An individual’s acts of service may just become one of their many passions.
The American Dream, the idea that has been glorified for centuries and has kept the generations pushing onward, in hopes of bettering themselves and their families, has not dimmed in the last twenty some years. The concept is essentially the same, but the means have changed over the years. In the past, hard work, sweat, sometimes blood, but always tenacity were the hallmark traits for success. No, it seems that without a college education, one cannot hope to succeed comfortably in modem American culture. Students have progressed from the traditional college•age students and have developed to include middle aged adults seeking a better paycheck. Regardless of the age, ahnost all of the students are going in order to get a better career and a
These eighteen year olds who had virtually no say in what they wanted to study in high school are now ask “ what is your major?” or better yet “what do you want to do for the rest of your life?” This is a big question, and most have no idea what they want to do. So, in a state of confusion they instinctively choose to study in a field that will benefit them economically when they graduate. Is this what a higher education means, to go through college fixed on the money? Or, is there a deeper meaning to it all, if so how can it be obtained? These are the sort of questions that need to be asked when considering going to college.
College is not so much a promise of success as it is a chance at success. Young adults should not feel like college is the best and only option for them. Robert Reich emphasizes this idea in his writing, stating “Last year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 46 percent of recent college graduates were in jobs that don’t even require a college degree.” For a lot of people, college can be a really bad investment, and although more and more jobs do require a degree there are many jobs that don’t. Even after getting a degree many people find that they are working in a job that has nothing to do with their field of study. Also, Collge is not something that is for everyone, but working is Len Penzo stated “There are plenty of relatively well-paying jobs available that don’t require a college degree. According to US Labor Department projections, 63% of all new jobs that will be created between now and 2020 won’t require a college degree.” For the last few decades, college degrees have served as a guarantee for easy access to a middle-class life. But the middle class is on the decline. Although the necessity of having a college degree continues to rise in our society, there are also many new and innovative ways for people to find a way to make a living without a college degree. Those who have been putting their trust in the old system are finding themselves with nowhere to climb. Finally, college just simply is not something everyone can handle Penzo also stated that “Not everybody is college material. If they were, 54% of all Americans who enroll in college wouldn’t eventually become dropouts. Look, college is hard enough for those who are motivated; for people attending who don’t really want to be there, it’s almost impossible.” The idea that every young person needs to go college is wrong. College can be a pathway to success, but it can also be a waste of time and
In 1975, Caroline Bird’s “College Is a Waste of Time and Money” describes why college degrees cannot buy you five years in the work force. Bird’s essay heavily describes the emotional struts these students encounter while attending college, and the anguish of dreadful classes which seem irrelevant to your actual desired occupation. High school students are inevitably being pushed to believe that college is a fundamental difference between working a desk job making $80,000 a year, and working a minimum wage job the rest of your life. Many college students are finding out that your twenty-thousand dollar degree won’t land you your dream job. Although some may advocate that college is the proven method to a successful career path, the majority of people that attend college are setting themselves up for failure with barricades like loans, low graduation rate, lack of experiences, and career success rate after receiving a degree.
In Caroline Bird’s “College is A Waste of Time and Money”, it’s argued that there are many college students who would be better off if they were to begin working after high school graduation. Colleges and universities can no longer ensure that one will go on to get a better job, getting paid more than they would have without a higher education. However, high school seniors still stress about where they will be attending college, how they’re going to pay for it and what they’re going to study for the next four years. Bird points out how college has changed over the past few decades and how, in turn, it has set many young adults up for disappointment, if nothing else.
A college education can broaden one’s career horizons and help them achieve stable employment. Through education one can expand their intellectual capacity along with financial scope. “ The median person with a bachelor 's degree earns about $48,000 per year, compared with $27,000 for a high school graduate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau” (Haltom 14). A college education should allow one to thrive both internally and externally, whilst progressing society along with them into the ever-changing world. These statistics represent the aspired
The Benefits of Higher Education states it perfectly, “After spending many years learning, people tend to feel happier and more content as they lead educated lives…Consequently, education promotes fulfilling, fuller lifestyles” (¶ 6). The types of jobs a person will be able to acquire after a college education allow more freedom and security, as well as an improved intellect. The naysayers believe that people do not need a four-year degree to acquire a job, but how many good jobs with comprehensive financial benefits do not require a four-year degree? What quality jobs are in store for an individual when they are nineteen or twenty years old with no working experience? Those kinds of jobs tend to have lower salaries with longer work hours. Higher education not only gives students more opportunities but the skills and understanding that allow them to dig deeper into more difficult situations. “After a trip through the world of higher education, you will hopefully be the person who communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. You will know to ask questions” (Carter ¶ 14). Receiving a higher education will help anyone narrow down their options and help them succeed with life’s constant challenges. Greater numbers