Nineteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

The United States is divided. It’s almost as if the nation is speaking different languages. This turmoil comes at a time following a massive push towards STEM-based education. STEM majors in the United States have increased drastically while English departments have struggled to exist. There is no question regarding the success of the technology economy, but as the health of our nation dwindles, we should be asking ourselves what price we are willing to pay as a society in this race towards technological advancement. STEM majors are undoubtedly essential, but do we want to live in a society that idealizes STEM? Platforms like Facebook have been under fire during the 2016 and 2020 elections for using algorithms that promote dangerous rhetoric and spread misinformation. Members of our society favor conspiracy theories over factual evidence. Ad sales are prioritized over ethics. This is the picture of a workplace dominated by STEM. As an English master’s student, I have spent the last year researching, analyzing, writing about, and discussing the very real issues that polarize us—topics like race, power, and the Anthropocene. I know the English classroom is a discourse community that values logic, knowledge, and empathy—the key ingredients our nation currently lacks—and that English majors have the critical tools necessary to take on many societal issues. However, there is a general misunderstanding about the value of English studies, so we must come together and ask ourselves: how can we rebrand the major to encourage students to study English?