The humanities "crisis" and the future of literary studies

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"The Humanities 'Crisis' and the Future of Literary Studies explores the idea that the humanities seem to be in a perpetual state of crisis. Students and parents worry they serve no practical purpose, while many who do endorse their cultural value complain an over-professionalized faculty preoccupied with esoteric theories and political agendas has left them compromised. Jay argues both concerns are misplaced. He insists the humanities do teach students a set of useful skills, and that they are most effectively taught in courses that stress theoretical thinking, sensitivity to social justice, and the ability to use scholarly and critical methodologies. Focusing on the field of literary studies, Jay argues that the value of the humanities must be framed in a balanced way that stresses both the importance of the cultural knowledge they embody and the utility of the transferable skills they teach. The real humanities crisis is not intellectual but budgetary, and it can best be countered by emphasizing the practical value of a humanities education"-- "The Humanities 'Crisis' and the Future of Literary Studies explores current debates about the role of the humanities in higher education, puts them in historical context, and offers humanists and their supporters concrete ways to explain the practical value of a humanities education for twenty-first century students. Arguing that it's a mistake for humanists and their supporters to shy away from stressing the utility of a humanities education, Jay uses the field of literary studies to demonstrate how specialized disciplinary practices and seemingly abstruse theoretical methodologies help students to think critically, read analytically, and write argumentatively, teaching them transferable skills employers are looking for. Far from being strikes against the humanities, he argues, literary theory, the so-called abandonment of the canon, and professionalization in fact bring practical value to their study. Written with clarity and vigor, Jay provides a roadmap for understanding debates about the worth of the humanities and for determining the way forward"--

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