Arts and Humanities can be restructured to be more relevant
Sep 09, 2020
Part of the problem is that the way humanities disciplines are taught at many universities does not lend itself to ready engagement with a changed and changing world.
Of late President Yoweri Museveni has belittled the social work and social administration (SWSA) academic program and the humanities in general. The development studies academic program was belittled by President Museveni to the extent that some universities had to ‘scrape off' departments and faculties housing the discipline. This is how far presidential influence can be to the extent that whatever the Head of State says is taken in many circles as gospel truth or policy for that matter. The most recent incident in belittling SWSA and humanities is when he was officiating at the International Youth Day August 12, 2020, at State House.
It is probably because of this talk by President Museveni that Social Sciences and Humanities generally have been undervalued and sidelined. The emphasis is on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). While launching the NRM manifesto, President Museveni said it is focused on Science, Technology and Innovations. The growing focus on STEM - while both laudable and necessary - has spawned an either/or mentality that undervalues the very subjects that might help us become the best stewards of technology. This article is an attempt to explain the value of humanities and social sciences and how they can be restructured for more relevance. For STEM generally, to deliver on their promise of human betterment, they need a cultural and moral compass that can be found in the social sciences and the humanities.
The World Economic Forum has been clear about the skills for the future which are in perfect alignment of the attributes provided by a good humanities or social sciences degree. These are; complex problem solving; critical thinking; creativity; people management; teamwork; coordinating with others; emotional intelligence; judgment and decision-making; service orientation; negotiation; and cognitive flexibility. While for sure we may need technologists and scientists, engineers and inventors, we will also need humanities and social sciences graduates - and in increasing numbers. The soft skills outlined above are really important and they will become more vital than ever. These are the skills that will help drive and sustain our future in the sometimes terrifying world we are in. By way of example, think no further than COVID-19 pandemic and environment crises that we are currently faced with. Negotiating change among people, and in society, is becoming as vital as the development of technical solutions.
Part of the problem is that the way humanities disciplines are taught at many universities does not lend itself to ready engagement with a changed and changing world. In Uganda students pick their vocation choosing which broad area to take a degree in: Humanities, or Science, or Business, for instance. Then they specialize even further, picking a degree programme that has the name of a job on it e.g. human resources management. Three years later these students emerge into a job market that's quite different from what they expected. A lot happens in three years: the job may no longer exist in the same form, or the skills required may have changed.
But by far the most important difference between student expectation and job market reality concerns employers' needs. Employers don't primarily want to hire university graduates for specific skills. They want to hire university graduates to solve problems. But how can problem-solvers be created through a monolithic degree programme, on a single disciplinary track, picked at the onset of adulthood? Quite simply, they can't. Part of the solution, then, is to overhaul what is taught.
We need to shift the landscape by reconfiguring undergraduate degrees in the humanities and social science disciplines and probably other university academic programs as well. The available degree programmes, which specialise in various vocationally oriented areas, can be replaced by a single BA (Arts) or BA in Social Sciences. The BA program is not necessarily new. But this combinatorial approach to the degree will be part of a significant move towards increasing the range and combinations of subjects that can be taken, permitting and even encouraging students to take subjects that are outside the Social Sciences and Humanities.
With a team of specialists, you're less likely to do much, because none of them will be able to help you with problems that don't yet fall into one of their domains. Of course, you do need people with skills. But skills can always be bought in, or trained. What you really want are people who are conversant in multiple cognitive and knowledge attitudes. A university education that equips graduates for this reality is crucial. In other words, we should adopt a stronger interdisciplinary approach to course delivery to prepare students for what lies ahead.
The writer is the Dean Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences & Associate Professor (Governance) at Kabale University. He can be contacted on email mkatusiimeh@kab.ac.ug Tel 0772620852 Twitter @Rwebiita