humanities for humanity

Katherine Houston

Head of Learning - Humanities

Humanities encompasses a diverse range of engaging fields including History, Geography,  Politics and Economics. These studies provide flexible pathways toward a broad range of rich and rewarding careers.

While students learn about the Humanities, they also develop thinking and literacy skills. This in turn supports and enriches their studies across other learning areas.  

In a world that is dominated by technology where  we all increasingly turn to Google 'for the answer', Humanities studies are vital.   While we scan our devices for updates, tweets or sound bites,  we demand information quickly. As a consequence, we are not always critical of the source of this information.  Finding an 'answer' does not necessarily equate to gaining knowlege - for this you need to ask questions and to analyse your findings - and to be prepared to find that not everything is black and white.  Humanities studies provides these skills.

Considering different cultures, traditions and social perspectives enables students to develop deeper empathy for others - to better understand the human experience and to define their own place in the world. 

Learning to understand how various factors can play out in the context of time and place provides an opportunity for students to express opinion, develop arguments and to become more critical in their responses. Studies of this sort open up the world to a student - raising questions of morality, adversity and change, requiring deep critical analysis and evaluation of evidence and/or argument with logical, clear thinking.

In an ever-changing world, these skills are paramount.  

As the world wrestles with social and environmental issues, Humanities studies remind us of what is most important: humanity.  ​