Why the humanities matter

Air Date: July 1, 2013

GUESTS: DANIELLE S. ALLEN, SEAN BUFFINGTON & MARJORIE KEEFE

Is a humanities education endangered? The Obama Administration’s emphasis on a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) education is necessary in our increasingly, technically competitive world. But what about the lessons we can learn through the expansive list including literature, languages, religion, history, film, philosophy, anthropology, economics, political science, sociology and psychology? The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has produced a report called The Heart of the Matter, which was sent to congress emphasizing more investment towards American humanities education. Our guests are DANIELLE S. ALLEN, of the Institute for Advanced Study, and one of the commissioners of the report; SEAN BUFFINGTON, President of the University of the Arts, on the value of an arts education in a digital age; and MARJORIE KEEFE, who will share her observations of 37 years as an itinerant instrumental music teacher in the Philadelphia School District, which has announced laying off the 66 music teachers of their 70-year itinerant music program.

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