Humanities vs. the Natural Sciences

highlights explores the constant comparison of the two evermore contrasting career paths that are so often pinned against one another

BY NATALIA PALLAS, BUSINESS MANAGER

The recurring debate concerning the choice of one’s career path has, is and probably always will be, a thorny decision many students confront. This largely stems from the stark divide between science and humanities studies and what the pursuit of either path will likely bring in terms of employment and financial success.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are a set of subjects and disciplines used for solving complex problems in society. The rise in popularity in STEM, however, is not only due to its real-world application but also the increased marketability and wellpaying jobs that are created from it.

According to Vital Signs, STEM professions are projected to increase by 13% while humanities-related jobs will increase at a lower rate of 9%, at least until 2027. Thus, schools and societal pressures alike are pushing the STEM agenda to ensure job security and financial success in an increasingly uncertain economy.

Earning a four-year college degree or higher statistically improves one’s chances of securing employment, by 87%, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. With STEM, these chances substantially increase, thus making this course of study so appealing.

“The arts/ humantities have a negative connotation because they seem like hobbies, [and] people only think of the humanities as just art,” junior Skye Poole said.

The other contributing factors to the shift towards STEM include female students leaving these subjects to pursue more math and science-based careers and the decrease in funding world-wide for humanities courses. The National Humanities Alliance reports that nearly every federal fund for humanities has been reduced by 7.7%. Yet, with this decline, there are several consequences to this on a humanities-related curriculum. In contrast to STEM, a humanities curriculum encompasses subjects like history, political science, language, literature and the arts. This is viewed by many as the more creative and philosophical type of study and by some as a useless curriculum. As a result, many students are less inclined to pursue a major in those fields, as demonstrated by the 8.7% decrease in bachelor degrees, according to Inside Higher Ed. For one, unemployment in such careers is at a higher rate and consequently, starting salaries are significantly lower.

This is not to say that pursuing STEM is necessarily a guarantee for success. Many have benefited enormously, financially and otherwise, from humanities degrees. These areas of study could not be any more different yet are compared so often. Certain stigmas can have lasting effects on not just the workforce but also the educational system, starting from primary schools.

Recently a trend called Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, (STEAM), has emerged, seeking to combine those critical thinking skills, as well as creative and artistic disciplines, for a more inclusive type of learning. This could ensure that students will have equal access and availability to each course of study. Schools like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Duke University are trying to fade the dividing line between STEM and humanities by putting the same amount of emphasis and resources into each subject.

STEM

STEM professions range from healthcare workers, architects and engineers to physical and life scientists. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in STEM, approximately 45% of careers are computer-related. The least prominent professions are those that are mathematics-oriented, such as cartographers, statisticians and surveyors.

With this in mind, the average wage for STEM professions is around $87,000. This is about 40,000 dollars more than the average wage of an American, which is to say most STEM jobs provide a comfortable living. Although there are exceptions, such as jobs that deal with mapping, agricultural or conservation technicians, these make up less than half of jobs in this field.

Since this margin is low, many are encouraged to choose this field even though it might not suit their interests and they may very well excel in a humanities field. For one, about half of those pursuing STEM majors switch their major , at proportionally higher rates among minorities, either due to its rigorous nature or to a change in passion. This is less likely to occur, however, if there is a larger emphasis on the undergraduate study programs at a certain school. The Pew Research Center reports that 36% of students who had some time in college or less did not pursue STEM as a career because of the time commitment and cost. This decreased significantly to 11% for students who were college graduates and postgraduates.

Surprisingly, though, students who had only some education in college or less were more likely than not, to pursue a different path. 17% of these students with an education of some college or less confirmed they changed their interest, while for graduates and postgraduates, a significantly larger 26%, said they found another passion too. This could mean a lot of things, such as the more education one receives, the higher probability they have of going into STEM but a smaller probability to continue pursuing. While this might seem contradictory, one thing is for sure, certain types of education impact enrollment and pursuit in certain subjects.

“People do not want to commit to the time and effort it is going to take to be successful in STEM,” physics teacher Roberto Delvalle said.

Unfortunately, minorities are still underrepresented in the STEM fields. As a result, this, many face roadblocks due to gender and race discrimination in the workplace. In hopes of combatting STEM stereotypes, there has been an increased emphasis to encourage minorities, particularly women. Whether it be funding or providing more opportunities for women, there has been a noticeable difference in the demographics of STEM, some of which will likely contribute to better representation. According to the Census Bureau, about 23% of the workforce were female for STEM in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, this had increased by 3%. Even though this may seem low, this is a slow and steady trend that has risen in recent years. According to Statista, 48% percent of female students received a STEM degree in 2016.

The Humanities

The humanities are often regarded as a lesser course of study but can be easily argued to have as much significance in everyday life as STEM. Music, literature, art and philosophy are just a few disciplines that directly and indirectly affect our daily activities.

The careers in this category of study include authors and artists to lawyers, politicians and marketing executives, which are often overlooked when speaking of humanities.

Humanities degrees most often lead to the management and education sector. The sales and occupation sectors are the second most prominent. The most infrequent type of employment from this type of pursuit are in construction or military-related.

The biggest deterrent causing a decline in this course of study is said to be, ultimately, the lack of money. Some of the lowest paying jobs in this field are found mostly in education, drama or the performing arts and theology. For example, teachers in Miami are said to make a mere $40,000 annual salary, while those in theater are even lower, starting at an average of $26,000 a year, according to Indeed. Employment is harder to find with these types of degrees, which contributes to this decline, according to PBS.

Nonetheless, those who succeed in those types of professions, like actors, could make millions, although it is rare. That is to say, exceptions exist to the conventional wisdom that humanities professions are not lucrative, that they are less challenging than STEM professions and that professions in the humanities only consist of artistic pursuits. As mentioned before, lawyers are part of the humanities realm. SimplyHired states that the average salary for that occupation is around $70,000 with judges earning a comfortable $90,000. Politicians can earn over $150,000 a year. In other words, those who claim humanities cannot lead to a financially rewarding career are simply mistaken.

“Some may have a negative connotation towards the humanities because they see it as boring or difficult. What is important to recognize is that there are all kinds of people with all kinds of interests. Some genuinely enjoy humanities and some do not. People simply need to understand that different people have different interests and rightfully so,” junior Jose Fernandez said.

The most apparent difference in this downturn comes from the type of schools one attends. Prestigious, private schools have faced the largest amount of students not pusuing STEM. This is quite different for public schools, likely due to the cost. also throough the declines in majors it is noticeable how much the interest in humanities has dropped. Data USA mentions how as of 2017, only around 500,000 degrees in humanities disciplines were awarded. They also discovered that, coincidentally, Miami-Dade College is one of three colleges in the United States that rewards the most degrees in humanities.