Humanities is often underestimated as a soft option, but it plays an immense role in building our understanding of society, social structures, human psychology, behaviour and decision-making. It is relevant to creating strong ethical practices and ensuring that we adhere to a strict moral code that guides research and development.
Through this article, we will understand the profound impact of humanities on education through its role in fostering creativity, communication skills, critical thinking and understanding the role of ethics in society.
Humanities helps us understand how the society functions and an individual’s role in the society. Humanities subjects teach us resource allocation, environmental patterns, social structure and more. While science and commerce subjects introduce us to facts, Humanities subjects teach us their meaning in the larger context of their value to humans. These subjects give students opportunities to discover, understand and evaluate society across different historical eras and cultures.
The humanities subjects and what we learn in them are:
The study of humanities subjects contributes towards broadening an individual’s intellectual foundation. Deborah K. Fitzgerald, professor and dean of the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, says Humanities students learn that “most human situations defy a single correct answer, that life itself is rarely, if ever, as precise as a maths problem, as clear as an elegant equation.” According to her, students benefit from the historical and cultural perspectives, which benefits them with a broader education than a single speciality. Students learn to find interdisciplinary connections that are useful in practical scenarios.
Communication skills are essential in all streams one studies in and fields they choose to pick a career. Humanities studies strengthen a student’s communication skills. Students learn to express ideas, find parallels and apply concepts to strengthen one's argument. Students build critical thinking, research and writing skills, making them effective oral and written communicators. Learning from humanities can help students understand academic, technological and scientific language.
Whether they are learning STEM or commerce subjects, studying humanities subjects can make students creative problem-solvers by considering the human perspective. Education’s role as per Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to “train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking.” He remarked that many educated people do not think scientifically or logically and education must enable one to “sift and weigh evidence”. Humanities teaches students to contemplate humanity, listen actively and make focused enquiries.
Understanding human behaviour can help answer complicated questions in science and technology and its relevance to human society. Students develop analytical thinking skills useful for gathering information, visualising data, solving complex problems and presenting coherent answers. Students learn to evaluate complex and often imperfect or incomplete information through subjective assessment. Employers look for individuals with creative problem-solving skills who can interpret issues, solve problems and express themselves.
Through humanities courses, students explore arts, language and culture from all parts of the world. Through the study of literature, history, and fine arts students appreciate the diversity of human expression and enjoy the richness and complexity of human culture. Students learn various perspectives and develop empathy and tolerance for diversity, which is important for an increasingly globalised world.
Humanities courses lead to diverse career opportunities in media studies, law, business, performing arts and more. A humanities degree prepares students for careers in:
Modern education must be agile and adapt to the evolving skill needs which are transferable and help individuals to the demands of contemporary workspaces and society. Integrating humanities with technical programmes allows students to apply their skills in various avenues that will be relevant to society and their growth.
JAIN PU College, a part of the renowned JGI Group, is committed to empowering students with quality education. Beyond academics, the college ensures its online content reflects the same standard of excellence. Every blog and article is meticulously vetted and proofread by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy, relevance, and clarity. From insightful educational topics to engaging discussions, JAIN PU College's content is crafted to inform, inspire, and add value to its readers, reflecting the institution's commitment to intellectual growth and innovation.
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