Posted: September 19th, 2020

The State of Humanities Annotated Bibliography

The State of Humanities Annotated Bibliography

Introduction

Recently, scholars from humanistic and non-humanistic disciplines have been involved in a debate on whether the field of humanities is declining. Many of them think that the future of humanities as an academic discipline is gloomy and bleak due to the diminishing interest by both students and society. On the other hand, humanities scholars try to justify the importance of humanities to society. This paper provides an annotated bibliography of ten articles by prominent scholars as they give their verdict about the state of humanities. The annotations succinctly summarize the readings and provide thoughtful analytical commentary.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Wierzbicka, Anna. “Defining ‘the humanities’.” Culture & Psychology 17, no. 1 (2011): 31-46.

This article examines the meaning of the words ‘the humanities,’ ‘science,’ and ‘social science’ regarding the division of knowledge. It also explores how the thinking ways of the modern English-speakers influence the meaning of the word ‘science’ relative to other European languages. The author postulates that the way English-speakers portray ‘science’ has no equivalent to any other language. They are under pressure to regard the ‘natural sciences,’ as the most valuable type of knowledge that society should pursue. However, drawing from the thought of Giambattista Vico, the article argues that the field of humanities is different from science, but also as vital to human knowledge.

All divisions of knowledge are important to human knowledge. However, society has a tendency to view scientific knowledge as the most important type of knowledge. Even in humanities research that focuses on people, there is pressure to model such research in a ‘scientific’ manner. Also, the validity of academic studies at school in any field is judged according to ‘scientific’ evidence. However, the author asserts that not everything is about science, and that the humanities field has its own goals and priorities.

2. Garland, Robert. “The humanities: Plain and simple.” Arts and humanities in Higher Education 11, no. 3 (2012): 300-312.

In this article, the author seeks answers to several hard questions that challenge the identity and justification of the teaching and practice of humanities academic institutions and society. In the modern era, humanities continue to face numerous attacks from various departments, both from outside and within the academy. Thus, the author, who is a humanist, seeks a unified and coherent justification for humanities to adequately defend the field.

Garland postulates in the article that as a humanities teacher, he struggles to answer some of these questions and to defend the field from various attacks. To some extent, his concerns are similar to those of Wierzbicka (2011) because some humanities subjects are under ‘social sciences,’ and he disagrees with the inclusion of the word science. While Garland asks questions, Wierzbicka (2011) provides answers to some of these questions.

3. Harpham, Geoffrey Galt. “Finding ourselves: The humanities as a discipline.” American Literary History 25, no. 3 (2013): 509-534.

The author, Harpham, seeks to understand the meaning of ‘humanities’ and what humanists do in practice. He asserts that failure to clearly define the humanities discipline constitutes a crisis. Also, the society is in crisis when humanist professionals lose faith in their field and attempt to incorporate it to other professions or disciplines. Thus, there is need for humanists to understand their work.

Harpham’s concerns also revolve around the definition and identity humanities as a discipline. He suggests that many humanists and society in general do not know what humanist professionals do in practice apart from teaching. This assertion is confirmed by Garland (2012), a humanist who does not understand humanities. However, just like Wierzbicka (2011), he stresses on the importance of humanities to society.

4. Powel, J.W. 1895. “The Humanities”. American Association for The Advancement of Science 1 (1): 15-18. http://www.jstor.com/stable/1623950.

This article explores the humanities discipline by focusing on the history of the civilization of humankind. The author finds that the field of humanities comprises of five main branches upon which mankind has continued to develop. They include languages, opinions, institutions, industries and pleasures. Thus, humanities involve modern scientific research that examines the origin and development of these five areas.

This article focuses on the history of human civilization rather than identifying the role of the discipline to the modern world. Additionally, the author claims that the field of humanities involves scientific research. This assertion is against both Wierzbicka (2011), and Garland (2012) positions who are against the use of the word ‘science’ when defining humanities. However, Powell (1895) uses the word ‘Scientific’ several times in the article when defining humanities.

5. Van Peer, Willie, Jèmeljan Hakemulder, and Sonia Zyngier. Scientific methods for the humanities. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2012.

This article discusses the importance of scientific approaches to non-scientific phenomena such as literature and humanities disciplines. The authors begin by contrasting how the world views traditional humanities with the sciences. They then continue to argue that science and humanities are not mutually exclusive. Finally, they affirm their position that scientific approaches can be beneficial in the study of cultural phenomena, by using several examples.

The position of these authors disagrees with the positions of both Wierzbicka (2011) and Garland (2012) who are against the integration of humanities with science. They however go a step further to provide sound examples that demonstrate how scientific approaches are useful in the study of human behavior and phenomena. Thus, they reinforce the argument posited by Powel (1985) about scientific research.

6. Plummer, Ken. “A manifesto for social stories.” Documents of life revisited: Narrative and biographical methodology for a 21st century critical humanism (2013): 209-220.

In this article, Ken Plummer discusses the importance of stories, and their significance to human life. He goes on to discuss terminologies, multiplicities, histories, and characteristics of stories. He further discusses humanity and posits that its study should involve both humans and their stories. Thus stories are integral to humanity as they add value to human lives through their interaction with the world.

Plummer bases this article on the premise that stories add significant value to the lives of human beings. Since the humanities discipline involves the study of various aspects of human life, Plummer asserts that stories form a significant part of the study. Therefore, he goes a step further and analyses almost all aspects of storytelling. Unlike other authors, he does not compare humanities to other academic disciplines, but focuses on how storytelling is integral to human life.

7. Stanley, Liz. “Introduction: Documents of life and critical humanism in a narrative and biographical frame.” Documents of life revisited: Narrative and biographical methodology for a 21st century critical humanism (2013): 1-16.

This article is an introduction to a book edited by Liz Stanley which comprises of a collection of life documents that analyze both narrative and autobiographical methods. According to Stanley, the collection of these documents is based upon a set of common themes guided by situation and context. The results from the analysis of these documents provide a rich set of engagements with the document’s research practice and methodology.

By creating this collection, Stanley tries to extend Ken Plummer’s work and his perspective in narrative and biography study to an array of contemporary and historical settings. This introduction outlines the purpose of the collection which includes examining how storytelling is the foundation of ‘documents of life research.’ Thus, to a large extent, this work extends Ken Plummer’s work about social stories.

8. Turner, Victor. “Social dramas and stories about them.” Critical inquiry 7, no. 1 (1980): 141-168.

In this article, Victor Turner discusses social drama by basing his hypotheses and arguments on his observations in a range of sociocultural systems. He begins by outlining his experiences in northwestern Zambia among the Ndembu community as he collected numerical data about the various aspects of the lives of the local people. Based on his figures as he further explains in the article, many narratives would arise from their way of life. Since social drama is integral to society, it presents a lasting challenge to a perfect social and political organization.

Turner’s argument about social drama differs with Hayden White’s theory. On the one hand, White argues that social drama is a story with a start, middle, and an ending. On the other hand, turner argues that it is a spontaneous social process that everyone experiences in every society. Nevertheless, they both agree that social dramas occur to groups of people with common interests and values.

9. Sitze, Adam, Austin Sarat, and Boris Wolfson. 2015. “The Humanities in Question”. A Journal of Critical Literary Studies 42 (2): 191-220.

The authors examine the current state and the future of the field of humanities. According to their diagnosis, the field of humanities is currently in a more significant crisis than ever before. The reason for this result is attributed to economic, technological and social forces that work to diminish humanistic forms of inquiry. The authors propose that, rather than humanists defending their field to non-humanist, the solution to the crisis lies within the humanists who should pause and hold a productive conversation.

The concern raised by this article are similar to those of Harpham (2013) and Garland (2012). The authors reinforce Harpham’s position that the humanities field is in a crisis. However, rather than rising up and defending the discipline as Garland proposed, the authors propose an in house solution to the crisis.

10. Ikpe, Ibanga B. “The Decline of the Humanities and the Decline of Society.” (2015): 50-66. doi:10.3167/th.2015.6214203

This paper examines the current state of affairs of humanities both as an academic discipline and as a profession. Many people argue that humanities field is in the decline due to statistics on declining funding, shrinking job prospects, and declining enrolments. Ikpe argues that society, rather than humanities, is the one on the decline. His solution is that, rather than changing humanities to fit society, humanists have to engage the society and provide humanist therapy to better engage with the world.

This article also identifies the problems that the field of humanities is currently experiencing. These problems point to a crisis just like in the works of Harpham (2013) and Sitze et al., 2015. However, Ikpe goes a step further and proposes a solution to the problems he identifies, which humanist engagement with the world as it is.

Conclusion

Most of these articles seem to point out that the field of humanities is in the decline as it experiences a significant crisis. The reason for the decline could be as a result of failure of the discipline to evolve with society thus losing its relevance. Although these scholars acknowledge the problem, few of them offer reasonable and practical solutions. Thus, the next step moving forward in the HUMA course would be follow up with more research about possible solutions to the current crisis facing the field of humanities. Also, there is need for engagement with all stakeholders to find lasting solutions.

Bibliography

Garland, Robert. “The humanities: Plain and simple.” Arts and humanities in Higher Education 11, no. 3 (2012): 300-312.

Harpham, Geoffrey Galt. “Finding ourselves: The humanities as a discipline.” American Literary History 25, no. 3 (2013): 509-534.

Ikpe, Ibanga B. “The Decline of the Humanities and the Decline of Society.” (2015): 50-66. doi:10.3167/th.2015.6214203

Plummer, Ken. “A manifesto for social stories.” Documents of life revisited: Narrative and biographical methodology for a 21st century critical humanism (2013): 209-220.

Powel, J.W. 1895. “The Humanities”. American Association for The Advancement of Science 1 (1): 15-18. http://www.jstor.com/stable/1623950.

Sitze, Adam, Austin Sarat, and Boris Wolfson. 2015. “The Humanities in Question”. A Journal of Critical Literary Studies 42 (2): 191-220.

Stanley, Liz. “Introduction: Documents of life and critical humanism in a narrative and biographical frame.” Documents of life revisited: Narrative and biographical methodology for a 21st century critical humanism (2013): 1-16.

Turner, Victor. “Social dramas and stories about them.” Critical inquiry 7, no. 1 (1980): 141-168.

Van Peer, Willie, Jèmeljan Hakemulder, and Sonia Zyngier. Scientific methods for the humanities. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2012.

Wierzbicka, Anna. “Defining ‘the humanities’.” Culture & Psychology 17, no. 1 (2011): 31-46.

 

 

---

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

 

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

---