Jesse DamjanovskiThe humanities provide a framework that allows individuals to examine and analyse the complex processes that have shaped human culture and society. This is achieved through different fields, each offering their own methodology and literacy to answer fundamental questions about the human condition and the world. In the Victorian Curriculum, the Humanities include: Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business, Geography, and History (2016). In Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business, students learn about the state, and its institutions from a legal and economic perspective. This helps them understand the principles of democracy and citizenship. In Geography and History, students investigate the processes that have changed, and continue to change societies, cultures and the world (VC 2016). These learning areas provide skills that are essential for twenty-first century students. The world is becoming more complex, and students today are facing monumental challenges related to globalisation, climate changes, and the rapid advancement of technology (MCEECDYA 2008). The skills needed for students to understand and solve these problems are provided by the humanities. These include: understanding cause and effect, the ability to have different perspectives, developing empathy, and improving problem solving and critical thinking skills (ACARA 2009). Steger, who argues that the humanities are needed to solve future challenges, states: ‘problem solving and the effective application of these solutions require that multiple dimensions of the human intellect be employed’ (2015). The humanities enables students to achieve this because it provides the skills needed to synthesise complex thoughts, utilising multiple frameworks and processes.
Reference List: - ACARA 2009, Shape of the Australian Curriculum: History, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, viewed 8 June 2016, <http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/australian_curriculum_-_history.pdf>. - Government of Australia 2008, Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, viewed 7 June 2016, < http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf>. - Steger, C 2015, ‘Why do we need the humanities?’, The Conversation, 17 March, viewed 10 June 2015 <http://theconversation.com/why-do-we-need-the-humanities-38640>. - Victorian Curriculum, About the Humanities, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, viewed 10 June 2016, <http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/the-humanities/introduction/about-the-humanities>. |