FGCU is commonly known for its health sciences, business and environmental Studies, but there is a surplus of humanities degrees handed out every year, which is often overlooked.
On campus, some majors are taken more seriously than others. This is commonly seen with the humanities being labeled as less than, due to stereotypes, false preconceptions and the way people define “worth.”
This convolution causes a negative outlook for aspiring students.
It is easy to feel pressured to pursue certain degrees to appease parents or peers, as STEM degrees are more outwardly impactful.
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Yet, that outward impact does not make those degrees more valuable.
When telling others that my personal bachelor’s degree in English, the reaction is always the same.
“Why?” or “Won’t it be hard to find a job?”
English has an inherent importance and impact on every aspect of the world.
Communication is how textbooks for the sciences are created, pieces of literature have influenced wars and journalism is how the masses digest current events.
The problem is the fact that English changes the world in a quieter way than STEM. However, that’s not just it. It’s every humanity-centric degree and more that people are commonly questioning.
Recently, there has been a push in the media for STEM majors. As professional degrees are becoming slimmer due to categorization, fewer people are choosing to pursue their dream careers. This can be a manifestation of the advancement of technology, political atmosphere and other dormant stereotypes that come from the history of culture.
Every year, new technological advancements are created, and with them, more job opportunities arise. These jobs commonly pay a fair amount and have benefits. However, on the flip side, majors and jobs that require art-adjacent degrees adapt and integrate with technology.
It also does not help that Artificial Intelligence is a dominating topic, often being coupled with fear, which stems from the potential of it taking away jobs from artists, writers and filmmakers.
Although this fear is valid, it is also radical. As technology advances, artists and creative minds always find new ways to integrate their work with it. Thus, the nature of these majors, being flexible and changing with the times, reflects instability. This instability is a part of the stereotyping behind humanities degrees.
With a seemingly dwindling market for degrees, people are less likely to see potential and overall value.
The current political atmosphere does not leave room for liberal degrees either. Since 2022, schools have been banned from certain books. This does not set a good precedent for fostering positive impressions of humanities degrees among students.
Another example would be the social aspect of humanities degrees. As we are in a right-leaning climate at the moment with a more conservative push in culture, there is a dilemma between a fundamental part of conservatism and humanities.
That is the act of being progressive.
Humanities explore a wide range of cultures and help foster empathy, leading to a more left-leaning perspective.
The secret to humanities degrees is learning how to understand and appreciate new things. With a more open-minded perspective, students will be able to grasp the value.
Art and the sciences are equally important, each in its own way showcasing their impact on the world and society. With a quiet whisper from one person to another after a movie, explaining how it changed their view of the world or creating new software for AI. Both of these instances are inspiring and change the world daily.