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  • Category: General

    Does studying Humanities create an insecure career path?

    Over the years, fewer students have been opting for humanities. At one time, subjects in this stream were considered to be easier than those in science or commerce. Students who merely wanted to graduate with a Degree certificate in hand, without any clear career in mind, would opt for it. There were, of course, students keen to take up, say, History, so that they could take up teaching or research work. Now though, even this keenness has lessened.

    Why do you think students are not opting for subjects like history sociology or philosophy? Do they feel their future would be uncertain in terms of job opportunities? Does humanities as a group have no relevance today?

    [This is an entry for the Forum Challenge Contest]
  • #775319
    It is well known that job opportunities are better for other subjects compared to humanities. I think this is the main reason for this trend. An engineering graduate will have better employment chances than a science graduate and a science graduate will have better employment chances than a humanities graduate. But subjects economics and management have some better chances. There are many colleges and many students improve their qualifications through private study in humanities hence competition is very high for these students. That may be also a reason for this trend. Many graduates in these subjects have to settle for jobs like office assistant etc for lower salaries and the number of jobs is less when compared to other streams.
    A science teacher can more money by taking tuition to some students as many students opt for tuition. But in humanities, many students never opt for tuition. I feel.

    drrao
    always confident

  • #775320
    Choosing the options depends upon its usefulness in the job market. There are some subjects in the humanities such as the English. Economics, Geography etc which are still popular among the student group for the wide applicabillities of these subjects from school levels to college stages to the research fields.
    Even an unemployed youth with a stream as stated above can get a tuition for his survival.
    Though UPSC accommodate other subjects of the humanities with which the aspirants can write their competitive papers, in other areas, scope for such papers is limited.

  • #775321
    This is an excellent subject!
    Even ten years before, studying humanities was being looked down upon everywhere. During my student days, in our college, students of science block did not even visit the humanities block except during cultural festivals. In some rarest of rare cases, if a male student in any one of the science subjects had girlfriend in the humanities stream, he would visit the humanities block secretively, because his fellow-students (in the science streams) could have booed him for visiting the humanities block.
    But now the situation has changed to some extent. Nowadays I find that in the Delhi University, the cut-off marks in the humanities stream are more than the cut-off marks in the science stream. But, in most of the universities and colleges of India, the earlier situation still prevails, although to a lesser extent.
    This is due to people's perception that the job prospect of humanities students is less compared to the students of science students.

    (a) Those who have forgotten Noakhali, how can they protest Sandeshkhali?
    (b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

  • #775346
    I remember that during our school time the students who could not do well in science stream quickly shifted to humanities. That was a very common trend and parents and teachers everyone suggested only that course of action to such students.
    That trend is still continuing. Only difference is that some students who are preparing for top competitive exams like IAS are undertaking a few subjects from humanities group in order to gain all round knowledge and fare well in the compulsory papers. That was a strategy suggested also by some top coaching institutes.
    Unfortunately today whether a student acquires qualification in science stream or humanities, the unemployment situation is same. Only difference is that some students who fare well in specialised technical courses are successful in getting some good jobs in the industries.
    The general feeling in the minds of parents is still the same today that science and technical streams are better than humanities.

    Knowledge is power.

  • #775441
    I want to add that in the NEP regime this distinction between pure science stream versus pure humanities would vanish away as liberal combinations will be allowed in the educational streams.
    That would be beneficial for the students and they will be happy that they are being allowed to pursue the desired courses where they have got interest and liking. Parents will also be relieved from the burden of selecting streams and forcing their children for going for pure streams inspite of their interest for it.

    Knowledge is power.


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