Written by Jenny Chau
With the prioritization of STEM research by governments and universities, STEM disciplines are associated with the most dynamic and innovative industries in our economy, dealing with complex topics such as artificial intelligence and climate change. On the other hand, pursuits in the humanities, including studies in philosophy, ethics and the arts, are sometimes perceived as “softer” in comparison. The divide between STEM and the humanities is especially deepened in education, in which many STEM post-secondary programs require students to take a large number of courses in their chosen STEM discipline, creating little space for courses in the humanities. Although disciplines in the humanities and STEM are often treated as distinct from each other, they are deeply intertwined. Since STEM research and developments are implemented to help people, the humanities can help them achieve a greater impact.
Knowledge of the humanities provides those working in STEM with a better understanding of the needs of the people they want to help. The humanities also give insight into the ethical, cultural and social implications of their research, making researchers think critically about society and how they engage with it, which is important to comprehend when implementing developments in STEM research into actual practice. For instance, in the creation of social media software, developers can determine the features it should have based on the needs of the audience they aim to cater towards. In addition, ethical and philosophical issues may be raised when considering the balance between free speech and moderation.
Furthermore, integrating the humanities and STEM promotes creativity in research through divergent thinking. Thus, collaboration in STEM research with experts in the humanities can result in novel approaches to problems. For example, in a research study in 2013, a linguist and a biostatistician developed a computational method that can identify whether a play was written by Shakespeare. Their research approach was also found to apply to cancer diagnosis and other biomedical topics. The addition of new ideas and perspectives from the humanities helps researchers become more creative in their work by allowing them to explore more possibilities instead of limiting themselves to methodologies used only within STEM.
In the current technological era, we need to understand the value of integrating the humanities with STEM and the innovations that will result from this unification. Though scientific research can advance our knowledge of the world and provide us with innovative technology, STEM alone cannot effectively implement these developments in society to help people. The humanities provide beneficial shifts in the perceptions of researchers and the engagement between people within and outside of STEM fields, leading to qualitative improvements in research and practical implementation. The humanities and STEM strengthen each other and should be integrated rather than separated.
Works Cited
Given, Lisa M., and Rachel A. Ankeny. “Creating Research Value Needs More than Just Science – Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences Can Help.” The Conversation, http://theconversation.com/creating-research-value-needs-more-than-just-science-arts-humanities-social-sciences-can-help-97083. Accessed 4 Sept. 2020.
“Integrating the Arts and Humanities into STEM Learning.” Informal Science, 1 Jan. 2016, https://www.informalscience.org/news-views/integrating-arts-and-humanities-stem-learning. Accessed 5 Sept. 2020
Mullin, Rick. “Behind the Scenes at the STEM-Humanities Culture War.” Chemical & Engineering News, https://cen.acs.org/education/undergraduate-education/Behind-the-scenes-STEM-humanities-culture-war/97/i29. Accessed 4 Sept. 2020.
“Why We Still Need to Study Humanities in a STEM-Focused World.” Study International, 3 July 2019, https://www.studyinternational.com/news/why-we-still-need-to-study-humanities-in-a-stem-focused-world/. Accessed 4 Sept. 2020
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