> One professor described computer science as a “big threat,” not solely because the major was snatching up students, but also because, as he put it, computer scientists saw their approach to the world as the “model way of thinking.”
I don’t think this is taught to computer scientists, but I do agree that there’s a degree of arrogance within computer scientists because they are solving very difficult applied math/science problems. As a computer scientist I see my education as valuable because I’m able to help others solve problems outside of computer science.
And certainly there is a degree of arrogance within the humanities disciplines, as well.
More broadly, it'd be great to see the disciplines working more together. Competition for students and resources plays a role. But the sciences need the humanities, the humanities need the sciences, and the country needs both (IMHO).
This is a really helpful summary. It would be interesting to compare and contrast this with the OAH conference. AHA is such a weird org. It is both aims to speaks for 'historians' in the United States, but not really historians of the United States. This usually isn't a bad thing, but it does result in the AHR being remarkably obscurantist and the AHA conference lacking value now that what few job searches are left have abandoned the big conferences.
That's a great point about the job interviews no longer being at the conference.
And yes, comparing the various organizations and their efforts is something we're working on at the History Communication Institute. More on that soon...
> One professor described computer science as a “big threat,” not solely because the major was snatching up students, but also because, as he put it, computer scientists saw their approach to the world as the “model way of thinking.”
I don’t think this is taught to computer scientists, but I do agree that there’s a degree of arrogance within computer scientists because they are solving very difficult applied math/science problems. As a computer scientist I see my education as valuable because I’m able to help others solve problems outside of computer science.
And certainly there is a degree of arrogance within the humanities disciplines, as well.
More broadly, it'd be great to see the disciplines working more together. Competition for students and resources plays a role. But the sciences need the humanities, the humanities need the sciences, and the country needs both (IMHO).
This is a really helpful summary. It would be interesting to compare and contrast this with the OAH conference. AHA is such a weird org. It is both aims to speaks for 'historians' in the United States, but not really historians of the United States. This usually isn't a bad thing, but it does result in the AHR being remarkably obscurantist and the AHA conference lacking value now that what few job searches are left have abandoned the big conferences.
That's a great point about the job interviews no longer being at the conference.
And yes, comparing the various organizations and their efforts is something we're working on at the History Communication Institute. More on that soon...