As an already exhausted pre-med freshman, I encounter many people who feel my pain. We quip together about the insanity of Duke math and the struggle of Orgo. I feel that I’m in good company, but often am less invested or interested in my pre-med classes than some of my peers. I like science. I enjoy exploring the mysteries of cellular biology and the conformations of molecules. But I also like writing poems, reading classics, making art and studying philosophy. These are but a few of my humanities interests. And while I do like science, I think I like (or at least am more gifted at) the humanities better.
In high school, I envied my friends who were calculus or chemistry whizzes. Perfect essay grades seemed poor compensation for my difficulty with integrals. I knew even before college decisions came out that these friends would have it easier in the job market because not many employers are clamoring for philosophers. So I am resigned to pre-med. And being a physician will be immensely rewarding, but I wonder if being an artist would be more so.
At Duke, advisors love to remind us that, “There are jobs for humanities majors too!” We can get that English degree and avoid a life of squalor. Often the salaries of writers or teachers pales in comparison to engineers and doctors. We (or our parents) may not be satisfied with the compensation that a humanities job warrants, especially given the price of Duke. I know many people like me who love English or some other subject within the humanities, but are majoring in computer science, biology or another STEM field to be more employable.
A lot of people explain the humanities vs. STEM predicament by acknowledging that humanities aren’t as useful to society, so there are less jobs involving them. Biomedical engineering can save someone’s life, but what good is a poem or painting in a life or death situation? Most people who subscribe to this argument are also science-based people—ones who understand the world in terms of science. But what about the rest of us—some who like a mixture of STEM and humanities, or others who hate STEM outright?
The fact that we cannot imagine a future for humanities graduates beyond preparing lattes or entering academia shows our societal preference for STEM. America, champion of capitalism and entrepreneurship, mainly measures worth with money. STEM majors earn an average of $65,000 a year, as opposed to $43,100 for humanities majors. Your parents were right! That computer science degree will earn more money than a degree in English.
Science is obviously beneficial to society. Science and math have brought us technology, which has subsequently led to efficiency and comfort. Most people are less certain about what humanities offer. Literature teaches us about relationships, art gives us multiple perspectives, philosophy teaches us to think and history offers case studies for millions of situations. These are less tangible benefits than science, but all are incredibly important in shaping the human understanding of life. Both STEM and the humanities—and all academic pursuits in general—are intended to help us better comprehend ourselves and the world around us. When society places more emphasis on STEM than humanities, entire contexts for life are discounted.
The School of Life, a company and popular YouTube channel started by author Alain de Botton, has a video entitled “Why Arts Graduates Are Under-Employed.” The video explores what use the humanities could offer societies predisposed toward science. The humanities could be used to fix governments, explore healthy relationships, teach us how to regulate and interpret emotions, or simply lead happier lives. Science can accomplish some of these things, but science often fails to reach people on a personal level. A scientific report does not elicit the same response that a moving book, play or painting does. Nor can science answer the deepest questions of existence, such as “What does it mean to love?”, “What is a good life?”, or “What will happen after death?” in the way that the humanities are so daringly able to. The fact that these questions do not plague us every minute of every day the way iPhone notifications (a product of science) do is not an indication that they aren’t important. It’s an indication that society has not deemed them important.
Much as we would be stumbling around in the dark without science or math, we are often lost when it comes to properly structuring our societies, lives and relationships. The humanities extend other ways for digesting the beauty and horror that comprises every human’s short stint on earth. STEM is a very necessary part of our society, but the humanities deserve equal weight. When America is so entrenched in furthering technology at the sake of entire worldviews, it is evident that such areas of study and work are not currently as valued as science and math are.
Recognizing the problems with graduating students who are proficient in STEM but have no idea how to think independently, interpret their feelings, or structure their relationships is the beginning of the solution. Monetary compensation is not the end-all-be-all for happiness, but it does play a significant role. When our society sees the value in creating humanities jobs in addition to STEM opportunities, the money will follow. Check yourself before you degrade your friends majoring in humanities and consider whether you’re blindly following a system to get rich.
Camille Wilder is a Trinity first-year. Her column usually runs on alternate Wednesdays.
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Camille Wilder is a Trinity first-year. Her column runs on alternate Thursdays.