iamsounsure

Why are humanities majors looked down upon so much here?

I don't quite understand it.

Lil_Wayne_Fan

Cause their salaries after graduation are typically lower than engineering/science/math/finance/accounting/etc. majors

worried_mom

Because a large portion of the students who frequently post here are much too focused on money and prestige.

4thfloor

Curious: what makes you say this?

Also, there's a whole range of majors encompassed by "humanities."

iamsounsure

When I asked about an English major, and some other humanity degrees, I was told to "get a real degree". If that isn't condescending I don't know what is.

Also compare the proportion of peopling mentiong their sci/econ/eng/business major hear to humanity majors. It's like a 10:1 ratio almost.

yg7s7

to iamsounsure: wow those people really said that? That IS indeed condescending. I would call it some kind of elitism.

I think by a "real degree" the people probably meant a degree that can get you a lucrative job or one that is academically hard. It makes sense if you think more realistically. I know someone who graduated from an Ivy league school with a degree in history and now that person is working in Barnes & Noble. Though you can't rely upon just one example... Certainly not worth 4-years of education and the subsequent debt.

iamsounsure

"or one that is academically hard"

Oh look! More condescension. It's like bathing in it.

Are you implying that a degree in humanities is not as hard as others? Or even why it matters.

The fact that these degrees cost so much and are not good investments when looked at from a shallow point of view (read: economically) on a cost benefit ratio of course it doesn't make sense.

But this knowledge has to be passed down. The humanities incorporate THE most important bodies of knowledge. Without them we would be lost. Imagine if people stopped taking them because it wasn't "economically sound" and soon you have no more musicians, or writers, or artists, or philosophers. All we'd have left is your cold economical buildings and science. And you know what? You'd be miserable!

yg7s7

Well it's not my opinion, but just what i think the people think is. You're right about the desolate world without humanities majors. Also it's funny how we're talking on 3 different threads

someon

A degree in the humanities would be way more difficult for me than one in the sciences- I hate writing. But one of the things that makes me wonder about the worth of the field is the fact that there is not a great deal of cumulative-ness in it. It seems to me that there are a lot of classes that have no pre-requisite, and that it would not be too much of an undertaking to improve my reading and writing skills to par.

grapico

I don't think great philosophers, and artists had too much concern on their salary...
This board is overly concerned with a vocational rat race mentality and prestige...

blue147

Money and how "hard" it actually is. It's as simple as that. I don't agree with it, but that's the mentality.

My suite mate is a chemistry major, my roommate is math education. Humanities and social sciences aren't worth a damn to them.

romanigypsyeyes

Because the common perception is that non-math/science majors are lazy bums with no job prospects.

The question I always get being an arts & humanities major is "What are you going to do with THAT?" I highly doubt engineering majors get that question quite as often.

GreatLawlz

You don't need music classes for people to become musicians unless it's of a certain type, I'm guessing. What qualifies you as being a musician? Producing music that people like, listen to, and buy. You don't need classes to become a writer. They'll teach you some of the tricks and trade, but it's not going to magically transform some humdrum piece by the end of the semester into something that can with the Pulitzer prize. How do you become a writer? You just write. Professional writer? Get published and paid. If you're going to want to work for a newspaper instead of on your own, then it would be necessary to get a degree in something related to obtaining that goal. I think it's journalism, but I can't be sure. Philosophers? You don't need a degree to be able to think. Savor a philosophy degree to show some credit that you're not some crackpot producing nonsense, you can in large part do this all on your own and not have a degree where it'll put you in a position where you find yourself trying to get a job when you have a wife/husband and kids to take care of.

Talent hands down is what makes all of it possible to get paid and if people can make their profession work for them, all the more power to them especially if they were able to do it on their own. You will see that many musicians were either self-taught or they took some classes when they were still in grade school. As for college, I really doubt Music Theory is going to help you sell music if it's just a terrible composition and the voice is far from pleasing. The important thing though is that you do what makes you happy and if people have differing opinions on that, then good. We're not all the same.

You kind of get my feathers ruffled when you say,

No, I would not be miserable. I'm a Physics/Math major and I'm taking a slew of math courses this semester. I'm also teaching myself a lot of advanced mathematics because I'm better as a self-learner. Same with everything else. Why? Because I enjoy it! And what on earth do you mean cold? I don't know what kind of experience you've had with science and math (sounds bleak though if you've hardwired that viewpoint of it being "cold and miserable"), but I'm in college and that is not what it is at all. How far you're interested in something will dictate whether you can be happy or not with it.

If it's not for you, then it's not for you. Math and Science are very important to society and central to advancing our technology, furthering our ideas, and changing the world. You have no idea how much math is around you or science. If I could have little red stickers that said "Math & Science" I'd stick it all over everything. The humanities (while important) wouldn't have helped you make your car, book you a flight to Tahiti, tell you what time it is, make the medicine you use when you get sick, let you look at yourself in a mirror, built your house, helped specify the dimensions of your clothes, helped make nothing from something into an amazing video game, or even afford you the ability to make that very own post of yours onto the Internet.

yg7s7

well put. (10 char)

noimagination

I have heard three reasons that have some validity (though they still retain flaws):

1) A good math/science major should still have writing and critical thinking skills. I'm not saying that all do, but the overwhelming majority of engineers and scientists I have personally spoken with are very articulate and show a good understanding of interpersonal dynamics from extensive teamwork. I'm sure that there are many antisocial, literature-averse engineers who simply slipped through my anecdotal surveys, but that doesn't change the fact that most math/science jobs require presentations and proposals utilizing social science and humanity-oriented skills. The overwhelming majority of the top math/science colleges have some form of distributional or core requirements, so most people will have some grounding in softer fields. But while a geological engineer can often debate you into the ground or write a persuasive article, an English professor probably can't determine the best way to extract oil from a prospective well site. There will obviously be exceptions on both sides.

2) The humanities are by definition softer and without "right" answers, which raises the question of whether they should be taught in the traditional sense. It is extremely difficult to impart an appreciation of fine literature or the ability to paint a beautiful picture through a classroom setting. Subjectivity also raises its ugly head - I personally prefer the look of "cold economical buildings" to ancient Gothic cathedrals. Does majoring in English really make your understanding of literature so much deeper than self- or group-study would have? Is a brilliant clarinetist who majors in math but practices for many hours outside of class so musically inferior to one who majors in music?

3) Probably in response to obnoxious attacks such as "humanities are easy", many humanities majors seem to have developed a rather pretentious, superior attitude. Many in this thread are harming your own case with quotes such as "All we'd have left is your cold economical buildings and science. And you know what? You'd be miserable!" Fighting elitism with elitism doesn't work; it just makes you look even more out of touch with reality. The idea that literature is inherently more emotionally valuable than chemistry is laughable and reeks of condescension.