Reply to Majoring in English—why so much disrespect?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]An example of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in Middle English. Understanding it is only the beginning.

"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote 
 
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour,

Of which vertu engendred is the flour."[/quote]
but, why do people need to understand this?   I read Shakespeare, Flaubert, etc.. but I don't see the point in needing to understand very old English.  My DH is English. He doesn't even like reading those types of books[/quote]

Which then begs the question, why do I need to study so many subjects that I will never use in my career? It's not necessarily the specific subject matter that's important, its the the thought processes and skills that we develop that's important.[/quote]
I can understand learning history, social science, but none of those classes are taught in ye olde English.  So, again, why does one need to understand Chaucer's old English?

I think it's important to read some classics, but I don't think it's important to read every classic.[/quote]

Majoring in English is not only (or primarily) about reading the classics. It's about thinking about literature and the ways that literature reflect (or doesn't reflect) society and our culture. It's about expanding our imaginations and empathy through seeing the world through others' perspectives. And it's about close reading and defending ideas with specific examples.[/quote]

I agree with you, but sadly that is what is lacking in today's society and spefically here on DCUM[/quote]

Dcum -- and the world -- would be a better place with more English majors and fewer business majors.[/quote]

We need more doctors and nurses. [/quote]
Who need to be literate and critical thinkers and be able to see/understand things from various perspectives. I think this thread has encouraged me to encourage my kid to go with their heart and do that English major. [/quote]
Then get ready to spend $$ on a graduate degree.[/quote]

Um....just like the doctors and many nurses also do? And all the lawyers? And a lot of business people with MBAs? 
She's likely going to pursue a masters anyway; so she might as well study what she loves. It doesn't preclude her from double majoring or minoring with another "more suitable iyo" subject area.[/quote]
well, lots of English majors go into law, not so much into med school.

But, the point is that, for the most part, [b]English majors (and other liberal arts majors) need a grad degree to get a good paying job.[/b]

You don't need an MBA to get a good paying job, btw.

So, now your English major DC is going to have to double major in a more "suitable" major because they acknowledge that an English degree by itself doesn't do much.

And we've come full circle to the topic of the thread.

BTW, my kid is a dual math/CS major.  They know that a math degree by itself doesn't do much for you, but they just love math. But, they like CS, too. So, it works out for DC.  I do understand why people want to major in LA, but practically speaking, that's not enough. Even my kid knew that.  They are now at an internship for a tech company earning $20K for 10 weeks of work .

For the vast majority of people, a practical degree is much more beneficial and desirable. And we see that playing out in the real world when you look at which degree programs are impacted and which aren't.[/quote]

And doctors and lawyers need grad school to get those careers as well. So what?
And how is someone majoring in English because they love it and double majoring in something else different from your son majoring in math because he loves it but acknowledges the value of an additional course of study? Just because your son's two subject areas fall under STEM doesn't make it any more practical or useful. For a lot of people, it isn't about maximizing income and they are fine with the trade-off to pursue something they prefer. It's not like they're pursuing a bachelors in a liberal arts field expecting to land a 6-figure job upon graduation.

Yeah, a lot of people prefer a "practical" degree. For a lot of other people, they desire something that may not be as immediately lucrative.  The degree programs are more impacted by society's emphasis on acquiring as much wealth as possible, less by a majority of students who truly love and desire those majors. If I were to bet, I'd bet that a great portion of those kids in those majors are there for the anticipated income and not because they are following their greatest intellectual interests.[/quote]

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