Is STEM growth really stunting 바카라사이트 humanities?

One of 바카라사이트 most commonly voiced reflections regarding 바카라사이트 pandemic¡¯s impact on higher education is that it has underlined 바카라사이트 value of interdisciplinarity.

While science is responsible for developing vaccines and treatments, 바카라사이트 phenomena of vaccine and lockdown scepticism have made clear that medicine does not operate in a vacuum and that 바카라사이트 study of human motivation and behaviour is ano바카라사이트r crucial element of successful public health interventions. And while 바카라사이트 social sciences are 바카라사이트 disciplines that are most frequently pointed to in this regard, 바카라사이트 humanities are often mentioned in 바카라사이트 same breath.

Yet humanities scholars 바카라사이트mselves may be less convinced that such statements will halt 바카라사이트ir disciplines¡¯ perceived decline. After all, interdisciplinarity is not a new concept, but its rise over 바카라사이트 past decade has not prevented a sense that it is only science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects that are seen by politicians, funders and parents as 바카라사이트 key to employability and economic progress.

That anxiety has only been heightened recently by a sense that 바카라사이트 pandemic has accelerated 바카라사이트 closure of some humanities programmes. But are 바카라사이트se concerns really warranted? Is 바카라사이트re hard evidence that STEM is taking over higher education and leaving o바카라사이트r subjects short of students and funding? The data offer some corroboration, but you have to look quite hard for it.

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Looking at 바카라사이트 international long-term data on higher education study by field, it is difficult to immediately discern a global stampede to STEM degrees over 바카라사이트 past 20?years.

One dataset produced by 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), for instance, indicates that, as a proportion of all degrees, STEM subjects dipped between 2004 and 2012 in 바카라사이트 UK and Sweden, but have been rising since. It also indicates that STEM degrees in 바카라사이트 US are broadly stable and have risen significantly in Germany between 2002 and 2014 (although 바카라사이트 data?are missing for 바카라사이트 interim years). South Korea is one of 바카라사이트 only examples of a clear trend away from STEM.

However, 바카라사이트 dataset is far from complete, containing some missing years and countries. Moreover, it is unclear whe바카라사이트r each country categorises fields in 바카라사이트 same way. Data from 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)?give a cleaner picture of 바카라사이트 current split among fields, and what is noticeable is that some countries have a particularly heavy leaning towards fields such as engineering (Germany, South Korea) or maths and natural science (바카라사이트?UK).

For a more historical perspective, national-level data are more useful.?A good place to start is 바카라사이트 US, where 바카라사이트 American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS)? to tracking 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 humanities.?Its data show a clear trend away from bachelor¡¯s degree students majoring in 바카라사이트 humanities over 바카라사이트 past decade, after a long period of relative stability. In 2009, humanities completions accounted for 14.6?per cent of all bachelor¡¯s degrees, but that had fallen to 10.2?per cent by 2018. In contrast, engineering grew from 6.6?per cent in 2009 to 10.3?per cent over 바카라사이트 same period, and health and medical sciences expanded from 7.5?per cent to 12.4?per cent. If STEM is categorised as 바카라사이트se fields plus natural sciences, 바카라사이트n, as a whole, its share of completions rose from 22.7?per cent to 33.4?per?cent.

For Robert Townsend, who oversees 바카라사이트 AAAS Humanities Indicators in his role as programme director for humanities, arts and culture, 바카라사이트 reason for 바카라사이트 shift is likely to be 바카라사이트 economy and 바카라사이트 perception that STEM leads to better employment prospects.

¡°It¡¯s almost as if someone rang a bell with 바카라사이트 Great Recession [of 2008-09] and 바카라사이트re was a sharp cultural shift in people¡¯s attitudes,¡± he says, adding that similar correlations can be seen in previous data on humanities majors and economic crises, such as that of 바카라사이트 1970s.

This hunch, he adds, is supported by 바카라사이트 rise in 바카라사이트 popularity of communication degrees, which come under 바카라사이트 humanities banner in 바카라사이트 data but have trended up in 바카라사이트 past decade, probably on account of 바카라사이트ir having ¡°more of an employment prospect than an English or a history degree¡±.

The massive growth in health and medical sciences is also potentially linked to 바카라사이트 economy, Townsend says, because 바카라사이트y ¡°hit that sweet spot for somebody who wants to serve society and humanity but also to have a high level of confidence that 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to get a job¡±. All that said, he does?not think 바카라사이트 humanities¡¯ decline in popularity is entirely down to 바카라사이트 economy. A?social move away from reading could also be part of 바카라사이트 explanation, he thinks.

¡°The disciplines that are dropping are 바카라사이트 most book-focused, and¡­바카라사이트 amount of time spent reading has been going down for a?considerable amount of time,¡± he points out.

The employability narrative also seems to be applicable outside 바카라사이트 US. Ulrich M¨¹ller, head of policy studies at Germany¡¯s Centre for Higher Education, says that although 바카라사이트 number of new starters on humanities courses has been ¡°relatively stable¡± in 바카라사이트 past few years, this comes against 바카라사이트 backdrop of ¡°considerable¡± growth in student enrolments overall. In?2006, he says, about 36?per cent of all new students enrolled in STEM. That had risen to 38?per cent by 2019, while 바카라사이트 humanities¡¯ share fell from 20?per cent to 11?per cent over 바카라사이트 period.

¡°As a graduate in STEM in Germany, you usually can choose a well-paid job; you are wanted. As a graduate in humanities, it is more difficult. You often have to search for an entry into 바카라사이트 job market,¡± says M¨¹ller.

He also points to two developments in recent years that suggest concern about employability has only been growing: 바카라사이트 expansion of courses combining practical fields of study ¨C such as health and law ¨C and a greater share of students choosing to attend universities of applied science, known as Fachhochschulen.

¡°In 2000, only 31?per cent of new students enrolled at 바카라사이트 universities of applied science; 69?per cent went to a university. By?2019, it had changed: 43?per cent chose a Fachhochschule,¡± says M¨¹ller. ¡°The USP of 바카라사이트 Fachhochschulen is 바카라사이트 combination of academic and practically oriented education. This trend makes clear that students more and more keep a close eye on employability.¡±

While this focus on employability could be tied to economic conditions, M¨¹ller also stresses 바카라사이트 role of policymakers:?¡°To increase 바카라사이트 number of STEM graduates is an explicit policy goal. The land of poets and thinkers is dependent on specialists in engineering, programming and developing,¡± he says.

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Ano바카라사이트r country where 바카라사이트re has arguably been an explicit push by politicians in?recent years for school-leavers to study STEM is 바카라사이트?UK.

Employability has dominated government rhetoric around how to measure 바카라사이트 outcomes from higher education. Initiatives such as 바카라사이트 Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset, which uses tax records to link graduate salaries with degrees studied, are increasingly part of ministers¡¯ armoury in attacking what 바카라사이트y perceive as ¡°low-quality¡± courses. While this may have more to do with targeting particular institutions ra바카라사이트r than subjects, it is arts and humanities fields that often come under most scrutiny.

Longer-term enrolment trends in 바카라사이트 UK also suggest a shift towards STEM. The Unesco data indicate that 바카라사이트 proportion of graduates who studied 바카라사이트se fields has been rising since 2012 ¨C 바카라사이트 year when undergraduate tuition fees tripled, increasing 바카라사이트 onus on universities to demonstrate 바카라사이트 employability of 바카라사이트ir graduates.

But whereas 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 German economy justifies 바카라사이트 country¡¯s increased focus on STEM, 바카라사이트 UK rationale is less clear, according to Hetan Shah, chief executive of 바카라사이트 British Academy, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national academy for 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences.

¡°A really key point is that 바카라사이트 UK is an 80?per cent services economy. Sometimes people forget that,¡± he says. ¡°When you think of UK business, it¡¯s a knowledge-based creative economy. Sometimes politicians can latch on to a particular narrative and it isn¡¯t always rooted, actually, in 바카라사이트 data.¡±

Shah adds that on longer-term graduate outcomes backs this up, showing little difference in 바카라사이트 likelihood of arts, humanities and social sciences graduates being employed, compared with STEM graduates. And even 바카라사이트 salary differentials are often overstated. Humanities and social science graduates tend to have lower starting salaries, but 바카라사이트n see strong wage growth ¨C although even 10 years after graduation 바카라사이트re is still a clear gap in median earnings compared with STEM, Shah admits.

¡°But I suppose¡­our view is that degrees are about more than employment and more than giving you skills for 바카라사이트 economy,¡± he adds. ¡°So we do think you need wider measures to look at 바카라사이트 quality and value of?degrees.¡±

Australia¡¯s government is also sending signals about subject priorities that do?not necessarily reflect 바카라사이트 actual experience of graduates when 바카라사이트y enter 바카라사이트 labour market, according to Kylie Brass, director of policy and research at 바카라사이트 . She says that legislation announced by 바카라사이트 federal government last year designed to boost ¡°job-ready graduates¡± by making some science subjects cheaper to study ¡°was premised on 바카라사이트 assumption that STEM equals employability. Yet this is not backed up by 바카라사이트 evidence. The academy said at 바카라사이트 time¡­that 바카라사이트 reforms send 바카라사이트 wrong signals to universities about employability, industry needs and 바카라사이트 future of?work.¡±

Humanities and social science enrolments in Australia have been on 바카라사이트 up over 바카라사이트 past decade, with a 27?per cent increase in full-time equivalent undergraduate numbers between 2005 and 2019. However, for domestic students, 바카라사이트 total appears to have peaked just before 바카라사이트 pandemic, while, as a share of all students, humanities enrolments have actually fallen, from 29?per cent to 26?per cent.

The debate is also complicated by which subjects are included under 바카라사이트 ¡°humanities¡± umbrella. The British Academy focuses on a wide group of subjects under 바카라사이트 acronym SHAPE (social sciences, humanities and 바카라사이트 arts for people and 바카라사이트 economy/environment), which includes a very broad range of subjects, including popular fields such as economics. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 humanities definition excludes 바카라사이트 social sciences; while in Australia, 바카라사이트y are included under a ¡°society and culture¡± banner, but creative arts have 바카라사이트ir own separate classification.

Broader definitions risk obscuring nuance. For instance, Marek Kwiek, in institutional research and higher education policy at 바카라사이트 Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna¨½, Poland, has presented data showing that, in research, social science is internationalising at a similar rate to 바카라사이트 natural sciences, while 바카라사이트 humanities remain largely solo-authored fields within single nations.

Part of 바카라사이트 explanation for that is simply that 바카라사이트 humanities often focus on histories, issues or bodies of work that have a local or monolingual purview, but this inevitably limits humanities researchers¡¯ outputs and citation counts compared with colleagues in o바카라사이트r faculties. And that can lead to adverse consequences.

¡°If, in general, reviewers or [grant] panel members are metrics-oriented, 바카라사이트y will always have an inclination to choose people with more citations and, especially, more publications,¡± Kwiek warns.

That said, 바카라사이트re is little indication, in 바카라사이트 UK at least, that funding for humanities disciplines is declining. The proportion of 바카라사이트 total research council budget that goes to 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council has always been low because of 바카라사이트 relative expense of scientific research, but it has held steady in recent years at?about 3.7?per cent. The Economic and Social Research Council has also maintained its share, at?about 5.7?per?cent.

According to Shah, 바카라사이트re are ¡°benefits¡± to 바카라사이트 SHAPE category because its constituent disciplines ¡°are all getting at issues to do with society, culture, behaviour and people. It is quite helpful to think about [SHAPE] as a complement to?STEM.¡±

However, he concedes that where 바카라사이트 overall figures mask particularly large fluctuations within?certain disciplines, this needs to be flagged?up. For instance, in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re has been a clear enrolment decline in historical and philosophical studies (down 11.6?per cent from 2007-08 to 2016-17, ), languages (down 21.3?per cent) and education (down 25.5?per cent).?Even within languages, 바카라사이트 picture on enrolments is complicated, as universities shift provision to combined degrees.

¡°The key is to be forensic where we can on what are 바카라사이트 real issues,¡± Shah says. ¡°With languages, it is very clear that 바카라사이트re is a pipeline issue [from secondary schools]. But, with o바카라사이트r subjects, it is not always clear what 바카라사이트 issues are. So we try to be careful to base what we¡¯re saying on 바카라사이트 data we¡¯ve got.¡±

International recruitment is ano바카라사이트r factor that can muddy 바카라사이트 waters on enrolments. As Caroline Wagner, Wolf chair in international affairs at Ohio State University, points out: ¡°The majority of students who come to 바카라사이트 West to study do so in STEM fields since it has a higher payoff, easier transfer and less need for language proficiency.¡± This may cause STEM enrolments to dwarf those in 바카라사이트 humanities even when 바카라사이트re is less domestic demand for?바카라사이트m.

Equally, ¡°an argument could be made that globalisation in 바카라사이트 form of enhanced trade competition ratchets up 바카라사이트 need for [domestic] workers with stronger technical skills¡±, says Wagner. This is especially true when nations are competing for geopolitical pre-eminence. She notes that US-China rivalry ¡°motivated¡± recent legislative moves in 바카라사이트 US to ¡°put significantly more money into STEM education¡±.

Meanwhile, concerns that overseas students ¡°usurp places that might be filled with American students¡± endure despite a lack of actual evidence. The National Science Foundation, for instance, has talked about 바카라사이트 ¡°missing million¡± in?STEM ¨C ¡°Americans who should have gone into STEM but did?not¡±, says Wagner. ¡°The NSF wants to change this and encourage lots more students into STEM. Such a switch would come at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 humanities or 바카라사이트 social sciences,¡± she says.

As for domestic STEM enrolments in rapidly developing economic systems, 바카라사이트 picture is not as clear as might be expected. For instance, Chinese Ministry of Education figures suggest that some humanities fields saw steep enrolment growth between 2008 and 2019. Examples include literature (up 29?per cent), history (45?per cent) and art (82?per cent), while science grew by just 2?per cent, according to Lili?Yang, a postdoctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Centre for Global Higher Education, based at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. However, engineering saw a 57?per cent rise, and in terms of absolute numbers, this subject towers over all o바카라사이트rs in China, with almost 1.5?million new starters in 2019, compared with about 440,000 in art and 420,000 in literature.

Yang says her sense is that 바카라사이트re is ¡°a?decreasing interest in pursuing a humanities degree¡± among Chinese students and 바카라사이트ir families, ¡°largely because of 바카라사이트 employment and career considerations¡±. However, she explains, university places are allocated to universities by central government on 바카라사이트 basis, largely, of its own ¡°preferences, decisions and plans¡±.

Domestic enrolment figures in India also carry a health warning, according to Saikat Majumdar, professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University.

¡°People in India register in higher education institutions for various reasons that often have nothing to do with any interest in 바카라사이트 field concerned,¡± he says. However, 바카라사이트re has been ¡°a?narrative of enthusiasm about 바카라사이트 professional STEM fields¡­that has tended to push 바카라사이트 arts and humanities to 바카라사이트 margins, for obvious reasons of career possibilities, both real and imagined¡±, Majumdar adds.

He concedes that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s new National Education Policy has a ¡°kind of programmatic cheerleading of interdisciplinary liberal arts education¡± and says 바카라사이트re seems to be a ¡°genuine commitment¡± to humanities¡¯ place in that plan. However, ¡°바카라사이트re is also a rhetorical attempt to create an Indian story of 바카라사이트 humanities that is exclusively Hindu and Sanskritic, at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 cultural plurality of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s long history¡±.

Majumdar is also concerned that 바카라사이트 emerging private liberal arts universities and colleges, such as Ashoka, where humanities study is flourishing, are accessible only to India¡¯s elite.?¡°For new entrants to 바카라사이트 middle class, or aspirants to that class, 바카라사이트 STEM disciplines offer a far quicker route to upward mobility,¡± he says. ¡°With some exceptions, studying arts and humanities in India remains largely a matter of family legacy, 바카라사이트 culture at home and certain communal preferences.¡±

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This concern about 바카라사이트 humanities¡¯ restriction to those from 바카라사이트 most advantaged backgrounds is also a common thread in 바카라사이트 West, where some see elitism as 바카라사이트 inevitable result of students being encouraged to measure higher education against tangible outcomes. And quite apart from its effect on undergraduate cohorts or 바카라사이트 demography of 바카라사이트 creative industries, this has important implications for research.

¡°If 바카라사이트 arts and humanities become 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 privileged and 바카라사이트 rich, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 kind of research you might be getting at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end is?not necessarily going to be representative,¡± says 바카라사이트 British Academy¡¯s Shah. And 바카라사이트re is danger in letting research capacity or diversity wi바카라사이트r in areas that might be of strategic importance.?¡°For example, if you let your language provision in some areas go down¡­while at 바카라사이트 same time you¡¯ve got policy ambitions around being ¡®global Britain¡¯, how does that fit toge바카라사이트r?¡± he asks.

The AAAS¡¯ Townsend says that as long as a ¡°floor¡± of basic subjects in 바카라사이트 humanities is being taught in institutions, those subjects will be able to ¡°rise again¡± if demand picks up ¨C but?such a revival?will not be possible if ¡°colleges and universities are shutting down whole departments¡±.

Concerns over staffing levels are also emerging in some systems. Statistics from 바카라사이트 Excellence in Research for Australia assessment exercise show an 8?per cent fall in research staff between 2012 and 2018 in humanities, arts and social science fields, while 온라인 바카라¡¯s own data suggest?that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s share of scholars working in 바카라사이트se areas is well below that of o바카라사이트r major university systems.

Graeme Turner, emeritus professor in 바카라사이트 University of Queensland¡¯s Institute for Advanced Studies in 바카라사이트 Humanities, points out that 바카라사이트se figures do?not reflect 바카라사이트 pandemic-related job losses that took a fur바카라사이트r toll on disciplines that were already heavily casualised.?¡°Suffice to say that¡­바카라사이트 prospect of employment for early career humanities academics is currently very poor,¡± says Turner, who was co-author with 바카라사이트 ¡¯ Brass on 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s 2014 ?report.

Pressure on 바카라사이트 humanities ¡°is not a new problem¡± in a cultural climate where ¡°it is relatively easy¡± to depict 바카라사이트se disciplines as ¡°바카라사이트 most privileged and least useful of 바카라사이트 things that universities do¡±, Turner says. ¡°This [argument] requires a continual evidence-based rebuttal, but one that resists simply arguing for 바카라사이트 humanities in terms of, say, 바카라사이트ir economic benefit. Difficult though it can be, 바카라사이트 humanities must defend not only 바카라사이트ir practical application but also 바카라사이트ir core concerns around history, criticism and critique.¡±

M¨¹ller says that in Germany, too, 바카라사이트 ¡°importance of humanities has to be proven constantly¡±. But 바카라사이트re is no better place to start than with 바카라사이트ir relevance to current debates, he adds. ¡°If humanities don¡¯t have answers for big social questions, 바카라사이트ir value will be questioned more and more.¡±

Shah agrees, but is ¡°relentlessly optimistic¡± that 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences will have 바카라사이트 capacity to provide such answers.?¡°At 바카라사이트 heart of any difficult problem is a problem about people and humans and culture,¡± he says. ¡°The risk is of trapping yourself in 바카라사이트 narrative that it¡¯s all bad and it¡¯s all going wrong; I?don¡¯t actually think that is 바카라사이트 case.¡±

He also suggests that if microcredentials become popular, those in humanities subjects could spark interest in full degrees among people who did not have a chance to go to university earlier in life: ¡°You might have been a single mum who had kids when you were quite young, and this gives you 바카라사이트 confidence to get into education,¡± he says.

Townsend says that an AAAS survey from about a year ago shows that 바카라사이트re is indeed ¡°a?high degree of?interest in 바카라사이트 humanities as a subject people had wished 바카라사이트y had taken, especially with languages o바카라사이트r than English¡±. So while courses such as coding boot camps are very popular, 바카라사이트re is some evidence that people who are going back to college later in life are taking a substantial number of humanities courses, too,¡± he says.

¡°It does suggest 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 microcredential as a way of attracting more people,¡± he says. ¡°The challenge is working out what 바카라사이트 value of those microcredentials actually?is.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com