Humanities Need a STEM

By Allan Metcalf. As long as I can remember, the humanities have felt neglected at our colleges and universities—underfunded, underenrolled, underappreciated by those who want a “practical” education.
Recently the sciences have felt neglected too, at least in the matter of enrollment. We have too few young people aiming for careers in science, they say. So, unlike the humanists, they did something practical about it. They created an acronym: STEM. It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It emphasizes the interconnections of the sciences, and it serves as shorthand for the kind of career they want to attract students to. It works well in public-service announcements. More...