Humanities is just one small part in what is known as “Humanistic Tradition.” Humanistic Tradition is the patterns that society makes throughout history as it learns and changes. This involves everything from medicine to the theatre.
Humanities is the study of philosophy, literature, written history, visual arts (including dance), architecture, and music (Fiero, 2006). This makes humanities different from other forms of Humanistic tradition because it focuses on the culture of humans, not the knowledge alone. Medicine, for instance, does not focus on the culture of humans. It may be influenced by the culture of humans, but it is not a specific documentation of the culture at the time when the medical theory was developed and implemented. Contrary to science and medicine, humanities gives a direct view of what the culture was like at the time it was produced.
The movie W. is a perfect example of a film that documents the current economic, political, and technological situation in the American culture. This film is a highly excaudated chronicle of former President George W. Bush’s life. The politics of Bush and his advisors is portrayed as being very corrupt, which is something that many Americans believe to be true. The economy gradually gets worse throughout the film, as the war in Iraq grows longer and longer.
The film documents Bush’s life from the 1960’s to 2003 and the technological advances throughout that time are very apparent. In 1960, computers were not accessible to put on a desk. Having one to carry around was unthinkable. Phones all had cords. By 2003, lap top computers and cell phones were a staple in everyone’s life.
Music is often used to demonstrate a view of society, or at least of what society hopes that it could be. Because of the war in Iraq, many songs are written that describe political issues. Carrie Underwood’s song “Just a Dream” describes a woman who loses her husband in war. Though this may not seem as though it makes a political statement, it does make a statement about war, which is a part of politics.
Bob Dylan’s “Union Showdown” also describes political issues. The song talks about economic cutbacks in the United States. Many every day products have been produced in other countries in recent years, leaving many Americans without jobs.
Bob Dylan expresses his discontent for this issue in the song, saying that it is cheaper to make products elsewhere and then have them shipped here. This has been an issue for many living in the United States for over ten years. Many Americans have lost jobs due to this. The song tells of how, as technology grows, it is easier to take jobs away from working Americans and give them to people overseas who will work for nearly no pay.
Growing economies inevitably lead to growing structures. Architecture translates the culture it is in nearly seamlessly. In the United states, we have structures such as The Alamo down the street from shopping malls. It is obvious that the American culture values political history, but has a desire to move forward.
Two hundred years ago, if someone said that they were going to stand in a little room that moved them up and down a building instead of walking up the stairs, people would have thought they were crazy. Now, though, this is a reality. Not only do we have “little rooms” known as elevators to move us up and down the floors of a building, but also airplanes to move us across the country in just hours. It was not long ago that it took Christopher Columbus months to sail to America. Now, business people fly between Europe and America every in less than 12 hours. What used to be a trip only for political business or for a permanent move is not accessible to anyone for a short vacation.
Politics are a form of Philosophy, so, any politics that are to be had would automatically fall under the preface of being a political philosophy. Intelligence, as to be expected, is increasing. The current cultural trend in the United States is to be an intellectual, or to be somehow above those around you in the field of knowledge and philosophy. Some boycott new technology, claiming that it is only a way to let a piece of equipment do the thinking for them, while others embrace technology, claiming that it is a way to share knowledge in a way that has never before been possible.
In the past, literature has often been reserved for books. Now, however, many people have magazines and newspapers delivered to their homes monthly, if not daily. These magazines and newspapers often contain short stories or opinion columns that can be considered literature. There are many different genres of these periodicals. Subjects range from the newest addition to the IPod family, to the current economic situation, to fashion tips for teenagers. In our growing and changing culture, there are very few boundaries set on what can and cannot be written. Because of the first amendment, the writer of this literature is free from any political persecution because of what they have written.
Holding true to Humanistic Tradition, society is documenting our current culture. Many songwriters, architects, and artists may not realize the statement they are making at the time, but years from now, people will look to their work to get a glimpse into what life was like in the year 2009.
Fiero, Gloria K. (2006). The humanistic tradition (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Weiser, Stanley (2008). W. Emperor Motion Pictures
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