What is the value of studying humanities and social sciences right now, as the natural world is under increasing threat and people hope or assume that science, technology and engineering will save us? Can Foucault, Faulkner or Freud provide answers to the daunting issues of our era – be they environmental, political or social?
While New Zealand – and the wider world – grapples with the impact and implications of the tragic mass killings in two Christchurch mosques by a white supremacist, this heinous crime prompts us to ask: how can we cultivate understanding, tolerance and empathy for others in a world riven by divisions and tensions, where hate speech can dehumanise individuals and groups because of their faith? Is the study of humanities – the essence of what makes us human – even more relevant in making the world a better place through critical understanding?
For some, the answer may be a resounding ‘hmm’. But if we consider the relevance of these – and other – arts subjects to the issues, concerns and aspirations of our immediate community, there are numerous compelling examples to showcase the vital impact of humanities knowledge and research.
In the context of Albany and the North Shore – the home of Massey’s boutique and fast-growing, world-class arts faculty – our presence for nearly three decades has been built on a raft of connections and collaborations between staff, students and the wider community, Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley’s extensive work on understanding the trends and issues of our new migrants who’ve transformed neighbourhoods on the Shore’s ethnoburbs of Northcote, Glenfield and Albany; the work of theatre and speech language therapy students led by community theatre expert Dr Rand Hazou developing ground-breaking programmes with a local rest home to help residents with Alzheimers communicate and connect more meaningfully; and the local student inspired by Development Studies who founded the Motorbike Book Club to get books to children in rural Vietnam with no access to school, are just a few.
While other areas of academia provide us with better drugs, farming methods or tax laws, humanities and social sciences engage us with core (but often less tangible) issues of being human – exploring what we know of the past, thinking critically and creatively about how we make sense of our present and how we address pressing social problems, and what our possible futures might be – whether on a personal, local, national or global level.
Massey University’s Albany campus was established just over 25 years ago. The original vision for the campus was based on building a world-class university on the Asia-Pacific rim, which included an English-language school to prepare foreign students for the rigours of academic life.
As one of the university’s four academic units at Albany, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences has grown appreciably since the early 1990s. Its flagship programme remains the Bachelor of Arts degree. And there are some very real advantages to studying Arts at Albany – not least of which is the beautiful setting provided by this stunning campus and its abundance of carparking.
Our academics teach a comprehensive range of subjects in the BA (Bachelor Arts) degree. They constantly review and update what they teach and how they teach it. This helps ensure our students engage with the very best material, which is not only relevant for meeting today’s needs, but also provides the very best preparation for dealing with the unknown problems of tomorrow.
Three years ago, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences took a bold step by introducing a new core curriculum to its BA degree, including papers specifically designed to improve students’ understanding of citizenship – notions of identity and belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand, our rights and responsibilities on the global stage, and the possibilities and limits of action and intervention.
As academics, we take our responsibilities as a public university seriously. While we are devoted to achieving excellence in our teaching and research, we are also keen to promote community learning and act as a critic and conscience of society through initiatives such as the Our Changing World Public Lecture Series for 2019.
The case for supporting a new generation to embrace humanities and social sciences study is stronger than ever. In this so-called post-truth era, where fake news and social media hate speech can sabotage public discourse, robust debate (and ultimately social cohesion and the safety and security of citizens), and the intellectual independence, humanity and clarity of thinking demonstrated by our graduates has never been more important.
Dr Damien Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations and Regional Director for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in Auckland.
