What are you gonna do with that?: a question that many arts students get when asked about their program. How does this affect students of the arts? Why is this perception of inferiority among the arts so common? How can this perception be challenged by students and educators alike?
‘What Are you gonna do with that?’
As an arts student, a question I frequently get is: “What are you gonna do with that?” And not in genuine curiosity, but confusion and judgment. Sometimes it feels like it would be better to hear a more direct question, like, “Why a creative writing degree?” This is a question I have asked myself on occasion, and a similar question to those I’m sure many arts students have asked in fear of becoming the “starving artist.” But why do we have this concept of the starving artist? Why are the arts undermined and how can we combat this negativity?
A Poet and an Electrical Engineer Walk Into a Bar…
Arts and humanities programs, when compared to S.T.E.M. programs are often considered “easy” and “pointless” in comparison. Arts students are often seen as less intelligent, being told that their program is not as important as a S.T.E.M. degree , such as medicine, engineering, statistics, computer science, etc. As Medium states in this article, “How I Was Subtly Schooled to Believe the Arts Were Inferior to the Sciences,” it is written, “The system of education made it look like the sciences were more important than other disciplines, especially the arts.” Education systems often frame STEM programs in a secondary education setting as being more beneficial, with students of the sciences being seen as “superior” to students of the arts. This is because science degrees seem more “effective” in producing stable, impactful job opportunities such as doctors, nurses, veterinarians, engineers, computer programmers, and more. Further, careers in STEM are also generally seen as being more lucrative, with many thinking the hard work that can only be achieved through STEM degrees literally “pays off” in the form of a financially stable career. So, when considering setups, the punchline can often be predicted due to the expectations we set in the educational space.Â
How Do We Combat these Norms?
When attempting to combat these perceptions of “sciences vs. arts,” it is necessary to understand that both of these areas have their challenges and they both have their “pay off.” Both areas require intelligence, but in different contexts. The electrical engineer in the example above may have a hard time interpreting poetic meaning and written craft, while the poet may struggle to understand the math equations the engineer encounters every day. Both the arts and the sciences require certain skills and types of “smarts.” They also have different rewards. While the poet may gain networking experience and publish their work to a magazine or a full collection through their degree, the engineer may find an entry-level position with their new degree. Both, in their own sense, are beginning their professional careers. We must understand that the sciences and the arts are equally valuable in their own ways, and consider asking questions like, “What are you gonna do with that?” in a less critical and more eager way.