The Crowding out of a Humanities Education

“Taken to its logical apotheosis, this trend all but guarantees that the humanities—philosophy, literature, journalism, etc.—will become the exclusive domain of the economic elite.”

That getting the correct education is the key to moving up the ladder of social and economic prosperity is probably one of the most entrenched ideas in contemporary society. Indeed, from the repeated claims by many politicians that unemployment owes not to an absence of jobs but to a lack of qualified candidates, to the World Bank’s call to establish “coding bootcamps” to remedy youth joblessness, the message communicated by political elites is clear: that upward mobility can be achieved as long as one pulls himself up by his bootstraps and commits himself to an economically viable field of study.

In a way, this view is understandable. It fits perfectly with our late capitalist ethos; it suggests that economic outcomes are determined by individual choice and self-improvement. Of course, it is clear that education does make a difference. In the United States, for instance, employees with a college degree earn between 38% and 167% more than those who lack one, depending on the state. Moreover, individuals who elect to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects are more likely than their non-STEM peers to find work immediately after graduation, with only 30% of engineering graduates being jobless initially after graduation. Yet, lurking beneath these points are a couple of significant factors that put into doubt the narrative of education—and, especially, technical education—being an instant leveler.

First of all, while STEM majors enjoy an early career advantage over their non-STEM counterparts, this advantage tends to dissipate over time. And second, while our society currently includes more graduates (including STEM graduates) than ever before, the percentage of people making more money than their parents has been steadily declining since the 1940’s. This has led to a situation in which the most educated generation in American history to have fully reached adulthood (i.e. Millennials) is now poised to make significantly less than its more meagerly educated Baby boomer or Gen X parents.