article on drop in humanities/arts majors

compmom
Thu, 11 Nov 2010 07:29:12 +0000

Going back 40 or 50 years, most kids in college (well, private ones anyway) came from affluent, well-educated backgrounds, had family and other connections, and were pretty sure to get a job after graduation (top management for the males, but, actually, upper class housewifery for most females), no matter what their major. Among this traditional elite, most of whom also went to private high schools or boarding schools, learning for learning’s sake was valued- but so was being aristocratically relaxed about things ("gentlemen’s C’s).

The post WW II economy also played a role, and, of course, right now we are still in the throes of a recession, if not officially. Whether you have no degree, a BA, BS, MA. or PhD, it is hard to get a job right now for many. Hard to relax over Plato for anyone.

As more people entered colleges, with the emphasis on equal opportunity, diversity and financial aid, I think the culture of higher education has changed and is changing and will change for quite awhile. Some of this is due to cultural values: the middle class is going to be more focused on jobs than were the old “trust fund” families, naturally; the cost of education and need for loans is another factor; more competition for jobs, since it is no longer a small number of people who have BA’s, makes things more anxious; kids are doing more internships and other job-training during college, and more colleges are offering these things for credit; and talk of vocation seems to happen earlier and earlier for kids even in elementary school, where the job market is oversimplified into clear-cut categories that do not reflect the reality. I also think that arts, literature and other humanities/cultural areas are less appreciated because many students have parents who are not well educated in these areas themselves. So the basic definition of being an educated person has changed from knowledge of history, art and poetry, to one who is well prepared for a job.

It might even be true that many of the students who do major in literature or the arts, for instance, come from backgrounds of money. It would be an interesting study.

I really don’t have any value judgment to make on all of this. In my late 50’s, I am still struggling with the issue myself, as I think about going back to school, and my 3 kids are resolving things very differently. I had originally thought, a long time ago, that the increased access to college would mean more people would discover the riches of English, history, philosophy and art. However, I think instead it has meant that more people are discovering the practicality of studies more geared to vocations in the marketplace. It will all just work itself out. There are some losses, and some gains…

I know that at Harvard, there has been a lot of concern that the campus vibe has changed, and the administration is trying to increase opportunities in the arts (new majors in studio art, theater, film) and bring some diversity of interests to campus. Many students are very intense in their pursuit of a resume, and are geared to business, law or med school after graduation. While this may be helpful to the individuals, it can make a campus a whole lot more boring, and some schools are worried about their ability to attract gifted individuals in the humanities and arts.

Finally, of course a BA is becoming the new high school diploma: everyone is trying to get one, which reduces its value in the marketplace, then causing degree inflation and more people pursuing master’s and above. When does it end? The competitiveness on campus comes from a glut of students, all competing for limited jobs. Let’s hope the economy recovers, and more kids can study the classics or archaeology or something.

So, folks, due to recent disability, my husband can no longer work, and I need to go back to work. I am finding that instead of finishing my degree in English, I might better use my limited cash to take some classes in Excel, Access and Desktop Publishing at our CC. Still, something in me yearns for the old-fashioned luxury of reading, discussing and writing about books, and I have always wanted to study modern art or colonial history. I have my own books, and can already write well enough, but I sure would like to take classes, even if I cannot really afford them!

If I were younger, I still think the ultimate payback, not onlyfor the spirit but also the pocketbook, comes from following interests, however impractical they may seem at the time. Life just isn’t all that predictable, and by trying to control things too early, many lose out on opportunities that would present themselves naturally. But then again, it may take some background money to be relaxed enough to meander that way, and let things happen.

Finally, many students are not in college because they are interested, anyway: they are there because they want a BA for a job. For those kids, including one of my own, I wish there were other paths…