Exploring New Teaching and Research Perspectives in the Humanities

Jeffrey Kurebwa

Abstract


This study provides new perspectives on looking at humanities discipline. It argues that the humanities have transformative powers making vital societal contributions to academia. Academic research is no longer solely the pursuit of individual intellectual curiosity but is driven by national priorities tied to strategies of economic growth and competitiveness. Its importance derives primarily from the translation of knowledge into new products and services. This instrumentalist environment has created a disciplinary hierarchy in which the humanities have struggled for recognition and appreciation under pressure to demonstrate value and relevance. The humanities have long had a societal mission in the belief that society can only benefit from the pursuit of knowledge and the scholarship that they generate. This study concludes that this certainty faces challenges from the dominant knowledge economic policy paradigm with its strong focus on measurable impacts.


Keywords


Humanities; Knowledge economy; Universities; Curricula; Research; Innovation

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/13266

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