What assessments of the Humanities generally or of your particular major/minor area of study do you see being made in current media? Find an article to summarize, comment on, and share with the class.
Oftentimes I find more evidence of how closed-minded the English field is rather than the opposite. However, today I have an article from The Conversation about how Taylor Swift and her lyrics are being studied academically in college classes. This is a topic I was skeptical of at first due to the modernity and popularity of Swift’s music conflicting with the traditions of academia despite the way she already includes symbolism and specific word choice to represent different aspects of her romantic relationships. This makes sense in the face of Swift’s popularity, giving students a foothold into analyzing literature using text they are likely already familiar with. In fact, the article expresses a few examples of popular media being used in classrooms, such as the Harry Potter series and Fifty Shades of Gray. As Swift’s inclusion into the classroom continues and is reported on, a comparison between her lyricism and that of Shakespeare’s keeps popping up. In some ways, this makes sense since both Swift and Shakespeare are popular writers of their times and make use of symbolism and word choice to express emotions in a nuanced and modern blend. This shows that parts of the English field are opening themselves up to new methods of teaching and learning, taking the time to explore how any literature, in any form, is just as important and effective as our more traditional texts.
Article: https://theconversation.com/why-taylor-swift-belongs-on-english-literature-degree-courses-219660
