Studying the Humanities in the 2020s
At a time of tumultuous and sometimes vitriolic debates on American campuses, here are seven guiding principles to help college student thinking about studying history or any other humanities subject.
Entries by Jude Iredell
Better Civics Education Is the Massachusetts Way
The fight for more comprehensive civics education in the Bay State has persisted for years. The Legislature’s recent override of Gov. Maura Healey’s cut to the state’s modest civics instruction budget suggests that in many in Massachusetts — including parents, teachers, and lawmakers — support strengthening the state’s civics and history curriculum, particularly with mounting evidence of declined student performance across the country.
Except in Florida, There’s Really No (High School) Debate
In much of the country, the state of America’s High school debate is not strong. Teachers and education professionals have become indoctrinated in an identity-obsessed, grievance-seeking body politic. But in Florida, students must thoroughly research debatable positions and are actually expected to engage with those who disagree.
The Disconnect Between Education and Activism
I’m sympathetic when I hear individuals lament cancel culture, radicalized student bodies, and anti-free speech climates in our institutions of higher learning. In many ways, it’s right to do so. But in our defense, I might suggest that our lack of aptitude is the result of increasingly substandard history and civics education.
Why Study History?
Intern Jude Iredell emphasizes the importance of history education for informed citizenship, citing Pioneer’s survey on Massachusetts residents’ historical knowledge. He encourages supporting organizations and initiatives promoting civic engagement and history literacy.
History Class: A New Culture War Front
Progressives and conservatives have sponsored politically influenced alterations to history curricula across the country. Recovering trust in history education is an imperative, and teachers and educators can help by making students aware that the facts of history are themselves political, constantly manipulated to advance parties’ and politicians’ own interests. Curricular standards that offer this guidance would weaken biased assaults from either ideological side.
The Rise of the Grievance Essay?
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision that racial discrimination in college admissions is unconstitutional, Harvard and other elite colleges and universities have adopted new essay prompts that openly invite applicants to air identity-based grievances in hopes of aiding their admissions chances.
A History of Massachusetts’ Peculiar Beach Access Laws
Massachusetts rivals Maine for the lowest percentage of publicly owned and accessible coastal land. What seems a geographic coincidence is actually the product of contentious property rights disputes going back nearly 400 years, to the days of Puritan law.
The War on Math in Boston-Area School Boards
Despite long-standing bipartisan agreement that all students need and deserve challenging curricula for educational success, many Boston-area school boards are dismantling advanced math programs in the name of equity and inclusion; such moves only exacerbate educational disparities while ignoring the persisting achievement gaps across racial demographics.
Can Massachusetts Reverse the Decline in U.S. History and Civics Performance?
Massachusetts — home to so much history, including seminal events such as the Boston Tea Party — has much to be proud of in its own students’ history and civics performance. Even as policymakers have supplanted typical curricular standards with “engagement” mandates that students participate in progressive activism, national attitudes towards Massachusetts’ civic education have remained envious.