‘I did not realise that when money becomes the core value, then education drives towards utility or that the life of the mind will not be counted as a good unless it produces measurable results.” – Jeanette Winterson, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
STAGE ONE: Introduction to the arts degree – principles and perspectives
“Imagine a world without English majors,” proposed a recent headline in the New York Times. Although such a prospect may seem utopian to some, there are good reasons to be concerned about declining interest in the study of traditional arts subjects in universities here and overseas.
While some subjects taught in arts faculties, such as criminology and sociology, are thriving, others are not. In general, the more a subject appears to offer the promise of employment, the more popular it will be.
Take English, perhaps the archetypal “arts subject” and a good example of the challenges facing parts of the faculty. The number of equivalent full-time students (EFTS) studying English at the University of Auckland has fallen from 548 in 2002, to 377 in pre-pandemic 2018, to 328 in 2020. Accompanying these changes are increasingly punishing workloads and pressure on standards. But the problem is much wider and goes back much further, according to Brian Roper, associate professor and former head of the politics programme at the University of Otago.
Denne historien er fra June 3-9 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra June 3-9 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.