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It's Not Only History

Reader comment on item: Historians Run Amok

Submitted by Tom (United States), Apr 9, 2017 at 18:24

Literary studies have also declined dramatically since the early 1970s. The problem seems to bear on the degree to which a discipline is associated with the Humanities and the associated assumption that such disciplines have become obsolete. I realize that historians have sometimes tried to link themselves with the social sciences, but in my 35 years in the university I've never met a student who took this seriously. It seemed to much of a public relations move that makes my point: humanities = kiss of death. Kiss of death in post-university non-academic employment (for whatever discipline), and kiss of death for employment as a professor in an academic system where there are fewer of these every year. And more, every year, of humanities helots employed as "adjuncts."

Much more could (and needs) to be said about changes in the university itself, including the continuation of employment for for post-age-65professors (why not they as the adjuncts, after all, on reduced salary). And including also the structure of administration in the universities (e.g., from which disciplines are senior academic employers most likely to be drawn?) and the political economy of universities, the conditions that have led to immensely costly levels of tuition in the US).

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

Agreed: the study of literature is worse than history. A less factual base accounts for that.

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Reader comments (12) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
momentous academic decline [17 words]darlene casellaApr 9, 2018 12:05242715
It's Not Only History [203 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
TomApr 9, 2017 18:24238361
Come to Murdoch Uni in Western Australia [50 words]Peter McMullanApr 6, 2017 06:31238225
1This Article Resonated [199 words]BruceApr 5, 2017 10:15238183
Popular Historians Still Can Be Great [162 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveApr 5, 2017 07:19238181
why I didn't study history [206 words]rwApr 4, 2017 21:26238166
It si worse than that [89 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
George ZilbergeldApr 4, 2017 21:01238165
Horrible History [22 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
ANN FARMERApr 4, 2017 17:08238157
Couldn't agree more [175 words]Ron ThompsonApr 4, 2017 16:52238155
Publish or perish may be behind the Microcosmographia [30 words]ETApr 4, 2017 14:49238154
Perhaps it has something to do with the younger generation trying to get faculty jobs [16 words]ETApr 4, 2017 14:43238153
1Qui Bono [375 words]Douglas Schulek-MillerApr 4, 2017 14:32238152

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