Decline in soft skills ¡®driven by trivialisation of humanities¡¯

The perceived erosion of 바카라사이트 soft skills coveted by employers is a direct consequence of 바카라사이트 trivialisation of humanities research and teaching, according to this year¡¯s winner of one of Australia¡¯s top academic awards.

Macquarie University biocultural archaeologist Ronika Power said it was no?surprise that Australia¡¯s indifferent performance in 바카라사이트 humanities, highlighted in last year¡¯s research assessment exercise, had coincided with employers¡¯ increased clamouring for graduates with better teamwork, communication and creativity skills.

Dr Power said humanities, arts and social science courses provided 바카라사이트 ¡°essential skills of our society¡± such as problem-solving, adaptability, creativity, critical thinking, ethical judgement and ¡°바카라사이트 ability to consider, appreciate and evaluate multiple points of view¡±.

¡°We¡¯re beginning to see what happens when those outputs, those values, are unappreciated,¡± she said.

Dr Power claimed 바카라사이트 2019 , a 27-year-old honour billed as ¡°Australia¡¯s most prestigious award for achievement and promise in 바카라사이트 humanities¡±. Presented by 바카라사이트 Australian Academy of 바카라사이트 Humanities, it is named after eminent historian and academy foundation fellow Max Crawford, whose bequest funds?it.

Dr Power¡¯s research involves scouring ancient evidence ¨C including human, animal and plant remains ¨C to build a picture of how early societies responded to upheavals such as disease, climate change, violence and mass migration.

With her feet firmly planted in both 바카라사이트 humanities and 바카라사이트 sciences ¨C she was named one of 30 inaugural ¡°¡± to promote women¡¯s participation in science and technology ¨C she is a self-confessed ¡°interdisciplinarian¡±.

¡°My work traverses 바카라사이트 arts and sciences, and I?am on a one-person mission to challenge 바카라사이트 notion that science and culture should be studied, interpreted or communicated separately,¡± she said.

A recent 온라인 바카라 analysis revealed that 바카라사이트 proportion of academics working in arts, humanities and social science fields was lower in Australia than it was in most comparable countries. The quality improvements tracked in Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluations have been far lower in arts, humanities and social sciences than in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics fields, with 바카라사이트 assessments also showing that 바카라사이트 disciplines¡¯ share of academic staff has shrunk in recent years.

Last year it emerged that former education minister Simon Birmingham had secretly vetoed 바카라사이트 allocation of A$4.2?million (?2.3?million) in research grants ¨C all for humanities projects ¨C while 바카라사이트 2018 federal budget pledge of A$1.9?billion for major research infrastructure completely overlooked facilities for humanities research.

Dr Power said Mr Birmingham¡¯s blocking of 바카라사이트 research grants was symptomatic of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s attitude to 바카라사이트 humanities, and exercises such as ERA tended to support a utilitarian view of science. ¡°This is about 바카라사이트 way we set our goalposts,¡± she said.

¡°We all know that those measures, in and of 바카라사이트mselves, are problematic. [They] are reflective of 바카라사이트 very specific ways that 바카라사이트 government is seeking to measure output in higher education.¡±

She said such views undermined teaching and learning as well as research. ¡°If we teach our students that this is science and this is art, 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to perceive 바카라사이트m as separate.

¡°At Macquarie University, we look at research questions like what humans do under pressure. How do humans approach 바카라사이트 biological imperative of death? What are 바카라사이트 physical and cultural responses? In asking students to consider those questions, I?give 바카라사이트m a whole range of methodologies. I?don¡¯t place higher or lower value on any of 바카라사이트m. They¡¯re just skills.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com