Humanists readily understand the “value” of what we teach, study, and write. We too often forget that this is less obvious to many of our neighbors, and have not developed a deep and wide advocacy movement to promote humanistic thinking and work. The AHA, like other scholarly societies, participates in Washington-based coalitions that offer a strong voice on Capitol Hill and relevant agencies, such as the National Archives, the Smithsonian, and even the State Department. But this is not enough at a time when politicians and business leaders across the country have sharply attacked humanistic and social science disciplines as not only frivolous (an old charge as pertaining to the humanities) but also a waste of taxpayers’ money and students’ time. The AHA encourages all of our members to enter this conversation, locally, regionally, or nationally. We offer below what we hope is only the beginning of our colleagues’ contributions. Please write, and send us the link.
Defending the Humanities
Florida May Reduce Tuition for Select Majors, Lizette Alvarez, New York Times
A Dangerous Assault, Carol Geary Schneider, Inside Higher Ed
Pricing Out the Humanities, Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed
In Defence of the Humanities, Matthew Batstone, Guardian
Defending the Humanities, Peter Burian, Inside Higher Ed
Defining the Value of the Humanities
The Liberal Arts, Economic Value, and Leisure, Johann Neem, Inside Higher Ed
The Shrinking Humanities, W. Robert Connor, Inside Higher Ed
“The Fire That Never Goes Out,” Richard H. Brodhead, Duke Magazine
Why Investing in the NEH is Vital: A Plea to Congress, James R. Grossman, Perspectives on History
Why Humanities? A blog providing “a comprehensive list of resources on the current crisis and initiatives that have sprung to the defense of the humanities
The Pope and the Liberal Arts, Elizabeth A. Lehfeldt, Plain Dealer
The Value of the Humanities, James R. Grossman, Perspectives on History
Humanities and the Curricula
A College Education Is About More Than a First Job, Hunter R. Rawlings III and Lillian Aoki, Huffington Post
The Humanities Ph.D. at Work, Megan Doherty, Chronicle of Higher Education
Don’t Judge a College’s Value by Graduates’ Paycheck, Drew Gilpin Faust, New York Times
Defining Learning Expectations, Anne Hyde, Inside Higher Ed
“An Ocean of Presumption,” John Churchill, Phi Beta Kappa Society
This post first appeared on AHA Today.
