The world has changed since the days of the pyramids. It’s changed so much that we can no longer assume that the skills you’ll need are those that would have been useful to someone living thousands of years ago. In today’s rapidly evolving society, technology has made it possible for anyone with an internet connection to learn about almost anything and work anywhere, even if they don’t know where to start.
In this context, humanities courses can provide a solid foundation for cultural understanding, which will help you adapt to this new world order. Let’s say you want to pursue a career as a programmer or web developer (which may be more lucrative than other options) but lack experience in programming languages like JavaScript or HTML5. You’ll likely be at a disadvantage when competing against other applicants who graduated with minors in computer science or related fields.
In contrast, however, the amount of transition the world has gone through and will go through in the future needs humanities to help us understand it better. Studying humanities will allow you to see how our world has changed over time and why it has changed so much.
But more than anything, you can now study humanities without the hassles of traveling and within the comfort of your home. Be it taking classes for extra credit or to expand your horizon, college humanities classes online will come in handy for you.
In 2022, there are many reasons why studying the humanities would be beneficial for you and society as a whole.
- Know why certain events happened in history and how they affected people at the time
- Understand current events that come from past ones
- Have a promising career across various sectors
- Gain an edge over others in terms of cultural knowledge, soft skills, and human analysis
Humanities Courses Cover a Lot of Territories
Humanities cover anything and everything you can think of. From history, literature, and philosophy to art, music, and cultural studies, humanities include all.
While it’s impossible to define what exactly makes something “humanities” or not, we know them when we see them.
The Most Obvious Reason to Study Humanities
Philosophical issues tackled in college may affect how you make decisions and live your life. This is perhaps the most obvious reason to study humanities.
You will learn how to think critically and analyze ideas. You will learn about what is right, what is wrong, and why. You will also be able to identify what is true from false information and assess their sources of authority (e.g., peer-reviewed journals vs. blogs).
This ability can help you as a consumer of information, especially in an age where we are constantly bombarded with information from social media posts or internet news sites that often do not have any editors or fact-checkers for their articles (see New York Times article about Facebook’s fake news problem).
It can also help you become a better citizen who knows how laws are passed by Congress or state legislatures before they become law so that when elections come up again next time around, you feel confident enough to cast your vote knowing that the candidates running have not violated any ethical rules while serving on legislative committees or governing bodies at local levels first before being elected into higher offices such as mayoralties or state senatorships respectively.
Humanities Are Essential to Every Career, Especially in Business and Stem
In the workplace, you need to be able to communicate clearly and effectively with other people. Humanities provide a foundation for communication skills that will help you take on any job. You can also use the critical reasoning skills that humanities teach to solve problems and make decisions on your own without relying on others for answers. This is especially important in STEM careers, where teams often work together to solve problems.
Humanities teach you about yourself as well as the world around you by helping students understand how one’s identity shapes their place within society through texts such as Shakespeare’s plays or French novelists like Flaubert’s Madame Bovary or Camus’ The Stranger.
Top Paying Jobs in Humanities
Did you know 60% of America’s top officials are Humanities graduates? And, over two-thirds of graduates from Humanities work in the private sector?
Humanities can not only get you a job but also a well-paying one. As per Payscale.com, here is a list of top-paying jobs after graduating with a Humanities subject.
- Content Strategist – Average Salary/year: US$87,000
- Managing Editor – US$68,000
- Proposal Writer – US$65,000
- Technical Writer – US$71,000/year
- Communications Director- US$86,000/year
Humanities Have Changed the World. Now It Can Change Your World, Too.
Humanities have transformed us through literature (including poetry), history (especially local history), philosophy and religion, languages, visual arts, theater and music, dance, political science (especially international relations), law (including moral philosophy), publishing/journalism/mass communication, media studies/theory/criticism, etc.
Now it can take you miles ahead if you put others’ judgments about the area aside and work on adding up to your skills and manifesting your passion into a fruitful profession.