“we have to go beyond mere bromides celebrating the inherent value of cultural tradition or the inherent value of a familiarity with certain achievements from the cultural-historical past”
Burdick et al., “One: From Humanities to Digital Humanities” in Digital_Humanities (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012), 13.
This passage stood out to me because it basically calls out the lazy way people often defend the humanities. Instead of repeating the same old lines about “tradition” or “great works,” it pushes us to explain why the humanities matter right now. That felt relevant as the world is constantly changing the way that the humanities are expressed.
It connected with my own experiences, especially coming from a background where I’ve spent a lot of time in STEM classes. In those spaces, value is usually tied to numbers, results, or efficiency. But, a big part of STEM and engineering classes in particular, is the way engineers express their ideas. 3D modeling is the segue that brings ideas into reality especially at this time in history. With technology becoming more accessible, engineers no longer rely on hand drawn models but rather online CAD programming. Reading this passage reminded me why I care about those things and how they fit into my future plans. I want to work in areas where technical skill and human understanding overlap, whether that’s digital storytelling, design, or something that blends data with real human experiences.
Under the big umbrella of Digital Arts & Humanities, I’m especially excited to explore tools and methods that mix creativity with analysis. Things like 3D modeling interest me because they let us look at innovation in new ways. During class I was able to work through difficulties and solve problems to create my 3D model which is a skill that involves not only problem solving, but creativity and freedom of expression as well. Oftentimes in my heavy science classes we focus on the numbers too much and there is not much creativity. These approaches feel like exactly what the passage is pushing for: not defending the humanities by looking backward, but showing how they help us understand and shape the digital world we’re living in.