Part 1-Significance of the Humanities
This summer I took a psychology course; tasking students to take personality tests and interpret them are standard issue assignments. I found that I am an INTJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging). After doing some research on the personality type, I found that typical INTJ career choices are in engineering, IT, and perhaps law. Although I do take these tests with a grain of salt, I remember thinking, “Well, why exactly am I a history major? Why am I taking mostly humanities courses, versus the sciences?”
My current job is firmly ingrained in IT, and requires analysis and logical reasoning. After some reflection, perhaps the reason I gravitate towards the humanities is that it is the “non-science” (yes, I’m using that term!) aspect of my life. The humanities offer an appealing “other” side of the coin. Historical and literary storytelling, expression of the arts, learning the nuances of languages, all firmly commit to, as Small puts it, the “valuation of feeling over reason” (Small, 12). As human beings, one of our natural instincts is to emote, express ourselves, and in turn, interpret other’s expressions. You might say that I have gone down the argumentative path of “well-roundedness”, and you are probably correct.
Another important factor is that the disciplines of the humanities intersect, often complimenting each other, providing a more complete picture of the human experience. I believe that my work with the humanities has allowed me flexibility in the workplace to identify connections, patterns, and opportunity when looking a large project or organizational entity as a whole.
Small presents arguments supporting the humanities for their economic value, utilizing the humanities as a method to understand how human happiness works, and as what seems as a “hail Mary”, as a claim to preserve and promote democracy. These points seem reasonable, but upon scrutiny, seem to break apart. I felt more in tune with Mill’s argument, where the humanities, “…help to preserve the cultural inheritance for following generations in ways that are not mere custodial but assist in ongoing human intellectual an cultural achievements,” (Small, 13). As a history major, the custodial aspect appeals to me, but the application of the humanities for future progress is truly how I envision the broader social value should be explained.
Part 2- Write a brief description of the kind of work you enjoy doing and/or think you’re well equipped to do.
It appears that I dabbled in this topic in Part 1! One of the reasons that the discipline of history appeals to me is the active research that is involved. Researching in archives, organizing evidence, and then reconstructing a snapshot in time for others to learn about makes me energized and content. The War Letters class with Professor DeWolfe helped me put these elements together in a collaborative group setting. I am detailed oriented, enjoy putting presentations together with visuals, and even enjoy creating podcasts. Over the years I have put together many presentations that appealed to others (or have gotten a decent grade). I also find satisfaction in writing an old-fashioned academic paper, but visuals and how I present something are very important to my work. I am not the best at public speaking, but as long as I have had time to process the topic, I can manage very well. My best projects are ones that I am passionate about.
