Opinion: Why Study the Humanities, Anyway

Louise Geddes, PhD, professor of English and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, makes the case for traditional studies as an antidote to the downsides of our rapidly changing world.

This April, Adelphi University hosted its second annual Writers & Readers Festival. More than 200 book lovers from our Garden City community and beyond came together with authors, faculty and students to talk about the vital place literature has in our world. Personally, I most enjoyed listening to current MFA student and poet Ed Mabrey talk with author and broadcaster Alvin Hall about his podcast and book, Driving the Green Book, a living history project in which Hall examines the legacy of the segregated South via a road trip from Detroit to New Orleans, with the famous Green Book as his guide. Driving the Green Book reminds us that the stories we tell connect us to one another. It insists that in an age of tremendous technological advancement and historical change, understanding what it is to be human matters above all else.

We live in an era of unprecedented access to information and in these moments of extraordinary change, reading books or diving into history seem at best, quaintly out of date, or at worst, an indulgence that cannot create the same opportunity that we see in other growing fields like computer science or marketing. As someone who works in higher education, I can tell you that there is always talk about the demise of the humanities. In moments of technological innovation, these conversations intensify, and yet, these are the points in history that need the humanities the most.

The humanities-the study of literature, language, history or philosophy-offer opportunities to think about why our world is the way it is, and give its students the tools to meet the changes we face. The career benefits of a degree in the humanities are well-documented, but not always obvious, even as humanities students find their paths in education, law, business, management and the not-for-profit sector. The humanities invest in processes-developing critical thinking skills, intellectual creativity and flexibility. Put simply, humanities students know how to learn. At Adelphi, we have seen our graduates go on to become published authors, teachers, lawyers and technological innovators, finding jobs and building careers in unexpected and thrillingly varied fields. To follow the humanities is to pursue a passion, but that doesn't mean that those of us who do so have to choose between that and a satisfying and lucrative career. We consider ourselves the lucky ones-more often than not, we can have both.

Here's the thing about the humanities: The path ahead isn't always clear. We take a road map, and set out on a path, perhaps stopping to listen to the stories or histories that will guide us on our path, and keep moving forward. As we study the humanities, building vast reserves of intellectual curiosity, empathy and problem-solving skills, we are moving toward jobs that we haven't yet realized exist-or perhaps even jobs that don't yet exist. We move with creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit that will serve us well in the world-not only as an employee, or (better yet) a boss, but as a human being, navigating the rapidly changing world with a sense of history, a sense of compassion and a sense of purpose. We understand how history and culture have brought us to this point in time, and we have the ability to imagine what comes next. We are, as Shakespeare put it, makers of manners.

In a world where technology insists that answers can be given instantly, and the world can feel increasingly unsettled, it can be hard to invest in a long-term strategy that can only promise to take you to places you are willing to go. But the outcomes are always worth it.