Contemporary forces of deglobalisation and neo-tribalism have renewed questions about the public role of the humanities. In this essay, I draw on Edward Said's reflections of secular criticism and observe how his problematisations of traditional practices of criticism provide a foundational basis for post-critical criticism. Specifically,…

Troubling signs about the state of humanities in higher education are not new, but the steady decline in humanities majors is cause for concern. The humanities, however, play a critical role in society and public life, promoting citizenship and public engagement along with valuable skills. There are untapped opportunities for expanding history,…

Narratives help situate arts and humanities--exploring the creation of artifacts as well as providing space for making sense of the world. Narratives can preserve the original context as well as recontextualize art in light of contemporary political and social issues. Personal, community, global, and universal narratives can make art more…

The importance of the arts and humanities in today's world cannot be overstated. Challenges to our common humanity are arising in all societies on the planet. The arts and humanities can reconnect people to our shared humanity. For Indigenous communities, the shock of dehumanization has been a part of our history. Tribal colleges and universities,…

Today lively debates are unfolding about artificial intelligence (Jackson, 2024; Peters et al., 2024; Sidorkin, 2024). Despite these debates, the topic remains undertheorized (Gourlay, 2024) in relation to various matters pertaining to its use, benefits, risks, and implications. As argued in a recent editorial for this journal (2024), it is…

Motivated by critiques from black students during the protests (2015-2016), I trace continuities between the racialised discourses and knowledge regimes that justified colonial education policies and that of Education Development at a historically white South African university. First, I show how the University of Cape Town's Humanities Education…

This article discusses the author's experiences teaching an undergraduate course, Graphic Narrative in the Hispanic World, in order to share some strategies to help students recognize how the study of comics and other humanities disciplines can help them develop crucial skills for their success and career readiness. The article first outlines the…

In Native contexts, art has an existential importance for preserving and perpetuating both communal and individual identity and wholeness, which is qualitatively different from art's more marginalized place in modern Western capitalist societies. As such, art in all its forms is understood in an educational context, such as the Navajo Nation's…

The Humanities to Career initiative is grounded in the belief that the study of the humanities/liberal arts (HLA) can be an asset in preparation for technical and professional careers. Lorain County Community College, in Elyria, Ohio; Bunker Hill Community College, in Boston; and Northern Virginia Community College, located outside of Washington,…