The humanities includes literature, history and philosophy. Photo by Katy Nguyen.
By Karen Phan, Staff Writer
Science gained intense momentum after the Sputnik era, when Russia successfully launched the world’s first artificial satellite Sputnik I. From then on, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) established itself as a critical field in the workforce, inevitably deemphasizing non-STEM fields, including the humanities. While STEM is important in today’s society, it’s clear the humanities have equal, irreplaceable value and must be protected.
The STEM field weaves together the aforementioned four subjects, striving to improve the world through research and innovations. Research done by the Office of the Chief Economist predicts STEM occupations are projected to grow by 8.9 percent from 2014 to 2024, whereas non-STEM occupations are expected to grow by 6.4 percent.
Due to its significance in the modern day workforce, education pushes for curriculums that centralize on STEM. Young people are responsible for the country’s future, and introducing them to STEM at an early age will guide them to pursue a STEM career. The National Science Foundation states “students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past” in order to succeed in today’s society. Immersing students in a STEM education will help them invent solutions to large scale problems, create a prosperous economy and lead the United States in a competitive world.
The push for STEM heavy curriculum is also a response to market demands. More STEM jobs are being created, thus the demand for skilled workers increases, as well as the demand for educators to teach STEM subjects. Many students are told STEM is a ‘safe’ road to success and money since there will always be a demand for STEM workers of all sorts. Meanwhile, our current society deems the humanities to be an outdated field that does not produce students who have the necessary technical skills to be great.
Like STEM, the humanities is a diverse field that embodies human society and subjects such as literature and philosophy, and falls under the liberal arts. Many claim the humanities is in a severe crisis, which is a bit exaggerated but not far from the truth. A study conducted by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences found that the number of bachelor’s degrees earned in 2015 dipped 10 percent compared to 2013. Our country’s focus on STEM has deterred students away from the humanities, causing a steady decline in liberal arts degrees. The idea of the liberal arts being useless is detrimental: the less exposure students receive from the humanities, the less competent they become.
The humanities fosters certain skills that STEM cannot fully expand. While STEM encourages students to think practically, the humanities teaches us what being human is and encourages us to always question. The humanities doesn’t deal with formulas and qualitative data, but rather the complexities of humanity, which are difficult to understand yet invoke critical thinking that makes problem-solving easier. The problems we face on the local, national and international level are complex and must be tackled with an open, creative mind.
Through studying the humanities, one also has a greater understanding of human experiences and the world. They learn about human errors and the consequences that followed, and how tragedies in history can be prevented. This may seem completely unrelated to STEM, but knowledge of humanity is critical to useful innovations and change.
Furthermore, a liberal education that integrates both STEM and the humanities builds a solid foundation of knowledge and creates countless opportunities to succeed. There’s plenty of scientists in the world, but not all of them have the skills to communicate effectively on paper and verbally for both renowned scholars and ordinary citizens to understand. According to Steve Jobs, Apple’s success is attributed to not technology alone, but “technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing.”
An education oversaturated with STEM cannot thrive as well as one that incorporates interdisciplinary learning. In order for our STEM innovators to change the world, we must provide them will a well-rounded education that develops practical skills across the spectrum. This liberal education would not be complete without the humanities, a field of study that is equally as important as STEM.
