Rancho Tarzanadu: "Miss Linda's Fourth Humanities MA Discussion Board Post"

 

 The article that stood out the most for me this week was “Good Uses of the Humanities in Bad Times” by R. Howard Bloch. I was drawn to this title because I was looking for some inspiration; the past week was a rough one with the ongoing (seemingly never-ending) pandemic, the fires raging all over California, our current political system (or lack thereof), and as one of our classmates predicted in our most recent Zoom meeting: an earthquake to top things off! It is specifically in times like this that we need the Humanities most, to comfort, uplift, and reassure people of brighter times ahead.

     The Humanities have been devalued in our society, which favors science and technology. Bloch writes about the gradual decline of the appreciation for the Humanities after World War II, which makes sense because people were attempting to put their lives back together economically and were more in survival mode than concerned with arts and culture. The Humanities are hit the hardest in a recession, because people are more concerned with feeding their families and paying their bills; there is no extraneous money to spend, and Humanities appear to be frivolous rather than essential. In our current situation, I think of our “essential workers”: doctors, nurses, firefighters, people supplying medical attention and food. These things are real and concrete needs, whereas poets, musicians, and artists might seem to be superfluous.

     This reminds me personally of all the emotional support I have received by listening to the songs being released now; songs of anger and frustration, songs expressing deep sadness, songs of hope, and how they have affected me on a deep and profound level. They have made me cry, they have made me dance alone in my bedroom, they have channeled my anger in a productive way, as I sing-shout-scream along with the lyrics, releasing my own fear, anger, and sadness with the melodies. Yes, I have needed food and shelter to survive during this time, but these songs have also helped me, if not to survive, then to thrive a little bit more than I would have otherwise. They lead me to believe there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

     Bloch says that Humanities reveal what is most important to us. In this time of crisis, I’ve realized that what’s most important to me is not money or status, or a new car or fancy dress. In fact, material objects have lost their allure for me much more than I would have previously thought. What means most is my family and friends, my sweet cats, and my connections to all of them. What has helped me get through these times the most is writing my own songs and stories, getting in touch with my feelings, and exploring what it is I really want from my one and only (that I know of) life; more love, connection, and creative expression, less buying, spending, and mindlessly consuming.

     Our focus in the recent past has been all about speed and spending. This pandemic has forced all of us to slow down. It has given us time (unless we are “essential workers”, in which case we’ve probably had less time than before) to think and revalue what is important to us. The Humanities have risen and fallen throughout history like waves…hopefully this crashing wave will lead us to clearer, cleaner, and calmer waters where it is easier to think and ponder and explore how we actually feel without having the advertising industry trying to tell us how we feel, or should feel, or are “supposed” to feel. In times like this, Humanities help us to think critically and express our ideas more effectively, which leads to action in the world, hopefully making it a better place so we can turn this ship around before it sinks.

     Certain works of art, literature, and music have helped to change the world, and have held up throughout time because they reflect our humanity back to us as we continually learn from them. These works actually have changed the course of history. Bloch says that literature can shape people, who then shape events in the world. He also says that our world functions on action and reaction, on a psychological level, not a technical one; on a human level.

     Humanities also give us insights into other cultures and their ways of doing things and being in the world. It also informs us of what worked or didn’t work in the past, so we can (hopefully) learn from our previous mistakes. Humanities teaches us about the consistency of our humanity that transcends time and place. It unites us as a human race, and enables us to interpret meaning in our lives. Humanities helps us express our ideas across all disciplines of study (not just within the Humanities).

     Humanities is not just “information” but, as Bloch says, “useful knowledge and wisdom” that brings interpretation to all subjects, which leads to meaning, which shapes our actions in the world and ultimately transforms it.

     The Humanities are not extraneous at all, but definitely essential.