Humanities, Plain & Simple

Directed by Christine Henseler, Humanities, Plain & Simple is a special 4Humanities project. It is a comprehensive and targeted campaign that calls out to individuals and groups inside and outside of academia to write statements in “plain language” as to why the humanities matter. How has humanities-based thinking directly or indirectly altered or innovated strategies, ideas, research, leadership, learning? The statements will be published on the 4Humanities site and/or in mainstream print publications or digital media sites. The pieces may be of a serious or sarcastic nature; they may be of a few short paragraphs or of several pages; they may address the effects of a particular experience or talk about the Humanities as a whole. The only request is for writers to communicate in the language of everyday life, to address a general audience, and to refer to real-world situations.

We highly welcome the work of individuals from inside and outside of academia, and from inside and outside of the humanities. We are also interested in putting together teams from a variety of backgrounds to write and edit longer essays targeted to specific audiences. If you are interested in this initiative, or would like to submit advocacy statements, please send them to Christine Henseler (henselec@union.edu). The material will be evaluated by 4Humanities for possible publication and dissemination. All accepted pieces will be posted on the 4Humanities website.

Christine Henseler, “Looking for a Job? Cash in on the Humanities”

Posted by Alan Liu

September 2, 2012Humanities, Plain & SimpleAlan Liu

« A Humanities, Plain & Simple Post » When you think “job opportunity,” you probably think technology, science, and business. You may think that a professional degree is a singular path to your success. Think again. In this economic situation in which no job is assured, most jobs are scarce, and few employers are waiting […]

Debjani Ganguly, “Keeping the Human Condition”

Posted by Alan Liu

August 23, 2012Humanities, Plain & SimpleAlan Liu

« A Humanities, Plain & Simple Post » A week after I received a call from 4Humanities to add my voice to those of others about the work of humanities, plain and simple, my country of residence, Australia, came up with a solution — plain and simple — to stop rickety boats crossing the Indian […]

Alan Liu, “The Humanities and Tomorrow’s Discoveries”

Posted by Alan Liu

July 25, 2012Advocacy Statements & Campaigns, Humanities, Plain & SimpleAlan Liu

Valerie Barr, “STEM and Humanities: It Isn’t Either-Or”

Posted by LindsayThomas

January 17, 2012Humanities, Plain & SimpleLindsayThomas

« A Humanities, Plain & Simple Post » I think of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and humanities as being the bookends of a quality education. Everyone needs exposure to and experience with both, or their education is incomplete and inadequate. Why do I think this? There’s an interesting tension developing across the academic landscape […]

Michelle Kassorla, “A Chair”

Posted by LindsayThomas

November 16, 2011Humanities, Plain & SimpleLindsayThomas

« A Humanities, Plain & Simple Post » Clearly, this is a picture of a chair. I took it today, in my dining room. If I showed this picture to anyone in the world, they would probably be able to identify it in whatever language they speak. It is one of the most fundamental images […]

Timothy Catlett, “Anger Management and the Humanities: Learning Empathy from History”

Posted by LindsayThomas

November 13, 2011Humanities, Plain & SimpleLindsayThomas

« A Humanities, Plain & Simple Post » When I first arrived in Xiaogan, a former farming village in the center of China that now has a skyscraper being built on every block, to be an English teacher at the local university, I met my two fellow wandering foreigners – a French teacher and another […]

Anthony Garcia, “5 Overlooked Reasons the Humanities Help Us All”

Posted by Alan Liu

November 12, 2011Humanities, Plain & SimpleAlan Liu

« A Humanities, Plain & Simple Post » Every student of the Humanities has had to defend their studies at some point. Compared to other majors such as engineering or chemistry, the humanities do not seem to be nearly as applicable for future jobs. Humanities programs are not considered a technical science and it is […]