The Value of the Humanities (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

Required Resources

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

Textbook: Chapter 1
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)

Initial Post Instructions

For the initial post, address the following:

What is the value of studying the humanities in the field of health professions?
How might a topic such as art, literature, music, dance, etc. from other time periods enhance your career and personal life in the present?
Select one aspect of the humanities that is meaningful to your personal life and one for career. Explain how is each meaningful.
In addition, include a specific example of a work (a specific work of art, literature, theater, or music) that you feel is meaningful to your personal life and/or career. Explain the connection.

ANSWER

What is the value of studying the humanities in health professions?

Humanities consist of philosophy, ethics, history, theology, and the theory of Literature and Arts. Medical ethics enhances empathy and guides interprofessional- and patient-practitioner relationships, while history helps them avoid past mistakes (Batistatou et al., 2010). Social sciences are essential because it allows professionals to align their future medical practice within the sociocultural context of the community. Philosophy also helps to nurture synthetical and analytical thinking skills needed to interpret patients’ language and ambiguous situations and conceptualize and construct personal and professional values.

How do past art, Literature, music, dance, etc., enhance careers and personal life?

Attending concerts, theatre, dances, etc., are entertaining and educative; hence, they can generate positive experiences, relieve stress, and temporarily enhance my subjective well-being. Professionally, arts can help us connect and have meaningful interactions with our patients, appreciate diversity, and deepen our understanding of lived experiences.

One aspect of humanities is meaningful to your personal life and one for your career. Explain how each is meaningful.

Literature and arts are essential to my personal life because it helps enhance my subjective well-being. For example, music often reduces my anxiety and stress, allowing me to enter a creative state and experience deep concentration and engagement. At the same time, Literature enriches my worldview about the meaning of life and how we understand ourselves and the world. The patient-centered care approach makes the dimension of social sciences meaningful in my career; it helps orient my clinical practice within the sociocultural context of the community.

Include a specific example of work that you feel is meaningful to your personal life and/or career. Explain the connection.

Hair-straightening treatments, perms, texturizers, relaxers, and flat and curling irons are not uncommon in the Black community as many black women attempt to achieve the ideal long, straight hair. Those who opt for hair straightening are often accused of racial inauthenticity and reinforcing the Eurocentric/white aesthetic ideals. In contrast, those who retain their natural hair are marginalized in the industry. The Whip my Hair song disrupted the landscape by extolling the beauty of black women’s hair without broadcasting the need for texture alteration. This song is personal due to my childhood struggles with accepting my hair. The song empowers black girls and affirms and humanizes their femininity and beauty in popular culture, explaining why it is meaningful in my personal life.

References

Batistatou, A., Doulis, E. A., Tiniakos, D., Anogiannaki, A., & Charalabopoulos, K. (2010). The introduction of medical humanities in the undergraduate curriculum of Greek medical schools: challenge and necessity. Hippokratia, 14(4), 241–243. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3031316/