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The case for English majors

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From The Washington Post: The case for humanities majors

"English majors are down 25.5 percent since the Great Recession, just as world's top economists say we need more 'storytellers'" writes the Washington Post. 

  • Humanities_Economics

    "In management and leadership positions, communication is key, as leading economists and central bankers have been quick to point out at this critical juncture for the world economy." -Heather Long for the Washington Post

On Saturday, October 19th, The Washington Post released an on-line article in the Economy section titled, "The world's top economists just made the case for why we still need English majors", with the leading statement that English and other humanities majors are dropping in numbers just when we need more 'storytellers'.

According to the data brought forth in the article from the National Center for Education, "English majors are down more than a quarter (25.5 percent) since the Great Recession" and it's "the biggest drop for any major tracked by the center" in their annual research. 

The article goes on to address the factors most students, professors and parents would attribute as the cause: job prospects and the promise of a higher salary post-graduation that a STEM degree provides. This assumption is proven partially misleading by a research study reporting that as careers progress, salaries equal out across majors. But the main argument, supported by Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Schiller, Head of Australia's Central Bank, Phillip Lowe and Govenor of Sweden's Central Bank, Stefan Ingves, is that economists are responsible for translating numbers into meanignful stories people can understand and relate to. They argue that this storytelling is what ultimately influences policy change and economic welfare, and where humanities majors (i.e. artists, writers, communicators) are needed most.

Follow this link for the full article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/19/worlds-top-economists-just-made-case-why-we-still-need-english-majors/ 

The article was written for the Washington Post by economics correspondent Heather Long.