M.A. in Humanities in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M.A. in Humanities in the 21st Century - Essay Example 1984:10). Humanities subjects inundate students with "a deluge of readings and ivory tower philosophizing" (Shulman, 2006) and have been traditionally used to transmit the values cherished by generations (McGrory, 2007). Located at the core of the university, Humanities have long been deeply embedded with concerns about life, wisdom, survival, transformation, and interaction (Brown, Boyer, de Bary & Fajans, 2006). The overall benefit to society is that they have the responsibility of keeping the other disciplines honest, and this function of being a watchdog needs to be preserved (Chipman, 1995). Humanities provides general literacy that includes language skills such as grammar, spelling and the proper use of words; information gathering such as how to take notes and summarize material; thinking skills such as how to criticize an argument and how to develop arguments; and writing skills such as how to present arguments with clarity and intelligence (Hart,1990). These are the basic skills that prepare workers to meet the world of work (Drewes, 2002). A degree in Humanities is not a business degree, not a science degree nor a technical certificate. Yet, the coursework done and the skills developed can be applied to virtually any profession.