Blog Details
- 15 May,2024
IS HUMANITIES TRULY WORTH IT?
"After class ten, I want to take up the arts but my father wants me to become a doctor. My mother on the other hand wants me to be an engineer, just because my cousin scored a big job position at a great company. I want to be an archaeologist, but he says I would be nothing but a shame to the family!"
Such regrets are common lores now in almost every household that has a school-going student in it. According to people these days, science is an incandescent subject - a broad pathway that has the capability to help us reach enthralling heights. The common attraction for science in many households is a doctor's degree and an engineer's salary. A child empowered with any one of this is considered a genius prodigy. Second to only science, the commerce stream also has a desirable amount of respect. "A Chartered Accountant must be earning a lot" - is the common belief circulating. Other than a CA, commerce students can literally go for any job in the corporate world like Accountants, CFAs (Chartered Financial Analysts), Economists, a Marketing and Sales Manager or even open up their own startups, which if succeeds, will pave their path to a jubilant glory.
However, do people speak for the Humanities as highly as other streams? Humanities is that domain of education which is most relegated to the periphery of people. It's that stream which when is pursued by a student, he/she is taunted by their family members and society, mislabelled as a bad student with no possible bright future who would spend their mortality working underpaid in a general line. Some people would even go as far as to say that a student would dishonour his/her family if they take up Arts (Humanities). However, does Humanities deserve this negligence? Are the common allegations that's deeply running accurate? Are the deep-rooted prejudices in this Asian society about humanities actually true? Let us find out in this blog post of Central Modern School, Baranagar.
Throughout the history of humanity, if we observe closely, we would be able to notice that this domain has shaped and influenced our lives in numerous ways. For instance, the philosophers from the ancient eras especially revolutionary philosophers like Karl Marx, Georgi Plekhanov and Martin Luther reformed and revolutionized people's ways of living. Their ideals have been cherished and followed as the guiding light by many in the past and even today. Therefore, history has witnessed humanities domain augmenting the quality of human lives. The Literature, especially theatre has been a magniloquent source of entertainment and social change (by being reflections of social devils) for masses since antiquity. The classical poetries, garnered widespread veneration and prestige. Even connoisseurs of the creative domain were treated with reveration. The mellifluous field of singing also comes under the humanities domain as the songs written are chef-d'œuvres - rhapsodic poetries composed with scrupulous rhythm, beautiful rhyme and glorious pattern. Humanities, in the form of legal justice was held in high accord as well. Lawyers emerged as commoner's judicial saviours during the British colonial periods. Hence, it would be wise to infer Humanities' reputation was not as besmirched and tainted in past as it is now.
However, a common argument would be that times have changed, what was of stupendous value at past might be valueless in the present. To counter this argument, it is safe to know, that Humanities still have the same importance to human lives as before. A nation without a political leader, with proper knowledge of its historical and geopolitical aspects (A knowledge which is only earned by studying Humanities), would collapse taking down millions of its citizens. The Indian government would also fail to administer efficiently if there is a lack of IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers in the country, who had so boldly cracked UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) examination acquiring knowledge from this so-called “infamous” humanities domain. With the expiry of a minister's tenure and the arrival of elections, the ministers might change, but the IAS officers continue to hold offices until they retire after twenty-eight years of services. Similarly, a state without a jury, lawyer or police might serve as the breeding ground of criminals. Would it be easy to forecast a seismic wave or a clash of plate tectonics without geologists studying them? And to top it all off, is not entertainment industry which is run by playwrights, song writers, choreographers, actors and singers one of the leading sectors of industry? Even the news, that keeps us updated about the various global affairs, is hosted by journalists who majored in journalism, one of the many openings in Humanities stream. If journalists take up their pen, they can influence general public in a way, nobody else can because of the skilled storytelling attributes of the journalists, their trustworthiness among general masses, their access to various modes of mass media and their roles in setting various agendas about what news should be the most prioritised. Hence, it's evident that a journalist is capable of shaping the very image of a person - either leading them to glory or ruining their very foundation.
Another common misconception arising among people regarding humanities stream is that it is considered academically "easier" to master than Science and Commerce domains, portraying the students under this stream as not so hardworking compared to Science and Commerce students. Powered by this belief, some sections of the masses think it is okay for a girl to take up Humanities and not a boy. Well, can we ever deny, despite the continued struggle to enforce gender equality, our society still remains patriarchal in nature? Hence, they think that Humanities being ‘EASIER’, is only meant for girls and women and not for a ‘TRUE MAN’. However, is this notion truly acceptable? Should a view that degrades the repute of not only HUMANITIES but also women, be still existing? This outrageous blasphemy continues to make everyone look towards this stream with contempt, making it a common belief that "Everyone can ace humanities just by mugging up the book. It requires no brain or intellect." This thought has been duly proven wrong and challenged on many grounds. Even if majority of the subjects under the humanities stream do require thorough memorization of the theoretical portion, it is important to remember memory is still a major part of our intellect. Not everyone is capable of understanding and grasping the key concepts of humanities and even if they efficiently handle studying, there would still be one person who would ace it all and be proclaimed the champion. Just as a literary trailblazer, a proficient judge, a knowledgeable geologist or a shrewd politician might find it difficult to solve technical level differential equations, life-saving questions regarding clotting of blood in brain or questions of stock market and entrepreneurial bookkeeping, a doctor, engineer or a chartered accountant might find it hard even to write a ten line poem expressing their present emotions. There's a common saying that rightly answers,
"Do not judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree; everyone has their own strengths, and it is the harmony of diverse talents that orchestrates the symphony of success."
Every domain, is therefore, important by its own aspect and we can rightfully say no domain is inferior to anyone. Also, UPSC aspirants crack one of the toughest exams in the world, Union Public Service Commission Exam, by mastering these "easy" humanities subjects and are offered a job, which is hierarchically above many of the occupations chosen by science and commerce students. Isn’t this enough of a proof of the fact that there’s still many job openings in the HUMANITIES sector?
As the society is changing with global technology on the boom and modernization reaching new heights unfettered, we see everyone is entering into a rat race. Just like, a few centuries ago, industrial revolution compelled European nations to colonize for extension of their markets and prevent saturation, we are compelled to learn Science and technology and even commerce to be just like someone whom we do not even know properly, with the superstition that it would augment our value in the job market. Instead of following our passion, chasing our dreams or nurturing the respective merits presented to us, we are chasing others and trying to be like them with whom we have nothing in common. Moreover, the concept that learning science or commerce guarantees us a job is highly unscientific. The seats for any job post under any domain is limited and if countless people apply for the SAME job won't it lead to a HIGHER competition in the job market? Moreover, if nobody takes up Humanities, then would the country be able to function properly. And no matter how far we advance in technical field, let us answer these questions truly – Does not technical fields too require the support of HUMANITIES to foster as well? Aren’t humanities, science and commerce stream, all symbiotic in nature? Does the problem really lie in HUMANITIES being the so-called “useless” domain or is it our ORTHODOX and MEDIEVAL viewpoints, whose change is the true and dire need of this modern progressing society?
The world requires masters from every domain to fulfil the global population's every need. The equilibrium would be forever shattered if the rate of students pursuing humanities is annulled. A stream with as many openings and opportunities as others, Humanities is quite a tantalizing catch. Now, I would leave the ball in your court, and I would let you decide based on the stated factors, IF HUMANITIES IS REALLY WORTH IT?
- By Koustav Bhanja Choudhury
(Class XII Humanities)