Vocation And Justification:
The Myth Of The Dying English Degree

Essay and Original Song by Riley Johnson

When a student expresses to their loved ones that they have chosen to pursue a degree in the Humanities–and worse yet, as an English Major–certain reactions seem to crop up more than others. “And what sort of job will that get you?” “You better start practicing your customer service voice!” “Everyone knows that the future lies in STEM.” “How are you going to pay rent?” All around there is a great wailing and gnashing of teeth. The student finds themself in a state of self doubt, and a new question, one that summarises all the others that came before, arises to the forefront of their mind: Is this really worth it? In reality, it is the myths about the English Major that cause the most grief to prospective students, and an English Major can find both fulfilment and success even through following their passions.

Myths surrounding the English Major and how it affects a prospective student’s job prospects and overall success linger in the minds of the people who hear them. Parents, extended family, and teachers will attempt to lead their students onto a safer path, trying to protect them from their viewed potential financial threat. Many perceive that an English degree has very few applications in the job market, and those that exist offer little in pay (Corrigan). Outside of perhaps teaching and journalism, the opportunities for someone who has studied English Literature and the craft of writing seem few and far between. Following this point, the next great worry is that the student will only ever receive a fraction of the pay that their peers who followed the STEM path will earn. The last myth, parroted by politicians and the like, is that the value of the English Major in our society is lesser than the value of those who learn trades or go into STEM. This is perhaps the most soul-crushing of the myths surrounding the English degree, causing prospective students to tuck their tails and flee into the safer avenues of academia, where the fruits of their labor might be more concrete, or more easily recognizable for their value.

Yet, these harmful myths are just that–myths. Considering the actual statistics, English Majors can actually do quite well for themselves financially. English Majors have ended up in very high ranking company positions, and while they may not start out with the same salary as their peers in STEM, they can end up living quite comfortably (Beal). Also, regarding the myth that English Majors end up working as food service workers, the statistics of that particular case are in fact very low. According to Paul T. Corrigan in his essay “Want A Job With That English Degree?,” only about 1 percent of graduated English majors ended up spending time working as food service employees (Corrigan). This statistic, as Corrigan goes on to explain, is not meant to shame those who work in food service or to diminish the importance of their work, only to show that a degree in English does not narrow down the opportunities of the student in that way. In fact, a fair number of English majors end up working alongside those in the STEM field, using their skills in technical writing to convey the research and discoveries made by the scientists in these fields. English majors can also get jobs that are more aligned with the Humanities and literary work. They could get jobs as writers in many different positions, including as freelance writers, television writers, copy writers, advertisers, social media managers, journalists, and more. (Corrigan) 

Why then, if English majors do have ample opportunities for a wide array of careers, do these myths about the degree prevail? One large reason for these widespread worries is that the knowledge and skills gained through the studies and practice of English is non-vocational, or at least outside of journalism (Smith), like many other college degrees, particularly those in STEM (Beal). There is no set “next step” after the student graduates from school. The student can be easily lost in the different options they have, so if they do not have a plan before graduation, it may seem as if there is no option for them at all.  Because of this lack of vocational training, they again have no set path, meaning their future, and the future of their finances, is  hazy when looking from the outside. The trick for success, as Paul T. Corrigan advises in his essay, is that the English major should know what their options are before they graduate, so they can take the proper steps to forge the path in life they want to follow, rather than allow themselves to float along, directionless, as those who have ample options are sometimes wont to do so (Corrigan).

Because there is no set occupation for a graduated English major, they are able to find jobs in much more diverse fields, filling in the cracks where they are needed.

However, it is the non-vocational path of the English degree itself that allows for the student’s success. As earlier stated, the careers of English majors can be in surprising fields, such as in science or tech, where people who do not have effective communication or writing skills need someone to communicate their results to a wider audience. The skills that English majors learn in their studies are more internal than they are concrete, such as their communication skills, their reading comprehension, their understanding of grammar rules, understanding of different people forged through their study of literature, and their general understanding of the different types of writing and how to utilize them (Beal, Corrigan). These non-vocational skills that an English major trains in are what allow the student to slip into work in different fields. They are not, however, trained for specific jobs, like a surgeon, mechanic, or physicist would be. This is what is so deceptive about the successes of English majors–because there is no set occupation for a graduated English major, they are able to find jobs in much more diverse fields, filling in the cracks where they are needed.

There are other values to the English degree too. Not everyone dreams of climbing the corporate ladder–I certainly do not. There are other measures of success, of fulfilment, that can be divorced from capitalism and financial gain. As Herb Susman proposes in his critique of the debate surrounding the major, one of the great values of those who study English is that they are the mediators of knowledge to the rest of the world, the scribes of history, the wellspring of the great epics (Susman). On the less lofty side, reading and writing can be a great passion, something that can transform and shift your perspective of the world and your place in it. Literature, the creation of literature, and the use of language itself can be a guide to understand ourselves along with the rest of humanity. It connects us to the humans of our past, and it allows us to reach out to the humanity of the future.

Yet, in spite of everything, there is something that the myths of the English degree, as well as their answers, seem to miss. Every myth and answer respectively attempts to attack or defend English as a legitimate line of study based on its usefulness, financially or otherwise. But no student intending to major in the Humanities that I have ever interacted with has ever based the decision of their major on any supposed usefulness of their study. There are certainly many benefits to studying English, as I have taken the time here to illustrate, but I have not chosen this path in order to describe myself as an “effective communicator” on my resume. I choose this path because I love language and what it can do, and I find joy by interacting with it. I choose this path because I simply cannot see myself pursuing anything else with the same ferocity as I do this. Alexandra Petri perhaps said it best in her article for the Washington Post concerning the popular modes of defence for the Humanities, “Dancing helps your cardiac health. But that is not why you dance.” (Petri)

Literature, the creation of literature, and the use of language itself can be a guide to understand ourselves along with the rest of humanity.

 These myths reveal a depressing truth about what we have come to value in education: utility over curiosity. Still, we must justify ourselves, because in our society obsessed with productivity and the wealth promised by capitalism, passion is not enough. As Jane Beal states in her own defense of the English major, “ the capitalistic culture of America places premium value on education that leads to money-making careers, that enrich the individual monetarily and pay dividends to society through taxes. Indeed, cultural forces within our society promote the idea that the quicker that money comes, the better.” (Beal) Yet, even her own defense hinges on a sense of “practicality” (Beal) that the major holds.

In conclusion, the myths that discourage those from going into English, and in fact any of the Humanities, are unfounded and blatantly wrong. A student does not throw away any chance of future success or financial stability by following their passion into this line of study. Their career options are not narrowed down nearly as much as vocationally trained STEM students’ are, and the skills that they learn can benefit them no matter what field they might end up working in. The work that English majors end up doing is also very relevant to our society and culture, and can work hand in hand with the accomplishments made in STEM. However, these myths are not wrong in these ways alone. They distort our perception of what education is meant to do for us, and reduce the culmination of this dedicated study to its mere utility. Yet there is hope beyond this distortion, to be found in the simple pursuit of education itself, and the fruits of that education. Herb Susman writes, disregarding the debate on the English degree’s worth:

“I do not believe you can dismiss the value of creative expression. We cannot all communicate through spoken language or objective observation. For many authors, amateur or published, the process of writing is in itself cathartic, stimulating and rewarding.” (Susman)

Works Cited

Beal, Jane. “The Value of the English Major Today.” Basel, Volume 9, Issue 3

Corrigan, Paul T. “Want a Job with that English Degree?” Corrigan Literary Review, March 11. 2017

Petri, Alexandra. “Oh The Humanities!” Washington Post. June 26, 2013.

Smith, Michelle. Costello, Michelle. “English Majors are Professionals, Too: Liberal Arts and Vocation in the English Writing Major.” Chicago, Vol. 43, Iss. 2.

Susman, Herb. “The Debate On The Legitimacy of The English Major Is Unnecessary And  Unwarranted.” Carlsbad. 2 November, 2011.

LANG120 (Shepard)

I Am Not Your Negro: The Haunting of America’s Past

by Ava Tompkins

James Baldwin essentially confronts Americans with their history in I Am Not Your Negro by giving a clear view of the racial problem between white and black people. I think this film is so important because it portrays Baldwin’s work in a visual and audible way so that Americans can more easily grasp the facts that need to be faced in order for the racial problem to change. The quote from Baldwin most striking to me is “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Facing the demons that still haunt this nation is what will ignite the necessary flame of change.

I believe that the work of Baldwin strongly resonates with the state of the world today, in 2020, with the Black Lives Matter movement and political divide. Implicit racism has always existed in America from its roots of slavery, but it became extremely amplified in 2020 after George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer. The Black Lives Matter movement emerged from the buildup of injustice, racism, and rage that America has taught black people to silence and suppress inside of them; this relates to the time of Baldwin’s life in the 1950’s and 1960’s, during the Civil Rights Movement. Baldwin’s incorporation of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evans provides Americans with strong models of how change can be enforced. With their leadership and dedication during protests and rallies, they sparked the nation with passion that will forever be remembered as it demanded equality for all and acknowledgement of racism. Because all three of them were murdered, I believe that Baldwin wanted to convey how the racism in America overpowered their efforts— the very thing they were fighting for fought back harder—, further identifying how great of a change needs to be made to solve this problem: “I still believe that we can do with this country something that has not been done before…You need passion. And this is proven by the history of the world.” I think that if Baldwin was alive today, he would argue that America is taking a step in the right direction with the Black Lives Matter movement; it sheds light on the issues that have been ignored and suppressed for hundreds of years, but work still needs to be done until every white, American citizen can realize their privileges and prejudices that stem from their past. 

I think that if Baldwin was alive today, he would argue that America is taking a step in the right direction with the Black Lives Matter movement; it sheds light on the issues that have been ignored and suppressed for hundreds of years, but work still needs to be done until every white, American citizen can realize their privileges and prejudices that stem from the past.

Something significant I learned from Baldwin while watching the film was how white people invented the “negro” because they needed them (for the slave labor that built America) and now white people want to neglect them and deny their rights as a human (with segregation and inequality). Baldwin poses this to conclude how change will not occur until racist Americans question themselves why the “negro” was invented in the first place. The title I Am Not Your Negro aligns with Baldwin’s argument that he is denied his identity as a human man when called a “negro,” implying that he has not only faced and but also rejected this invention that the white man coined solely to divide. In a hopeful light, he suggests that America must form a new identity of needing each other; denying anyone participation in this new identity will cease the progression of equality. I think that when white people can stop placing distinctions upon black people, internally denying them their right to be human just the same as them, is how the change can occur that James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evans, and countless other Americans fought for. The fight will continue on in the future as the younger generation is being exposed to and joining the Black Lives Matter movement; the demons are finally being faced and Baldwin’s message is rightfully being spread.

Essay written for LANG120 (Barya)

by Samantha Mazze

Artist Statement

For my research project piece I decided to make a zine. I felt this would be the best way to reach my target audience, which is middle school and/or highschool students as well as their counselors and parents. Each page of my zine is a basic introduction meant to be representational of an entire lesson encompassing the main topics you would find in a comprehensive sex ed course. I used bright colors, eye catching graphics, and affirming language to be sure to give the reader an informative and positive experience with a topic that can sometimes be seen as taboo or is met with resistance.

Research Resources

“America’s Sex Education: How We Are Failing Our Students.” Nursing@USC, 2 Sept. 2020, nursing.usc.edu/blog/americas-sex-education/.

CDC. “National Center For Health Statistics .” Teen Birth Rate by State , vol. 1, no. 11, ser. 1, 28 Apr. 2020. 1. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/teen-births/teenbirths.htm

Kovarik, Andin J. “Implementing Sustainable Safer Sex Education on a College Campus .” ProQuest Central , 3 Aug. 2016, search.proquest.com/docview/1805510556/2C0C0F9BE01C48DFPQ/2?accountid=8388.

Rough, Bonnie J. “How the Dutch Do Sex Ed.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 29 Aug. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/08/the-benefits-of-starting-sex-ed-at-age-4/568225/?utm_source=newsletter

vanKoot, Bex. “This Is What Sex Ed Looks Like Across the Country.” Esquire, 20 Aug. 2020, www.esquire.com/lifestyle/sex/a27663524/sex-edcuation-in-america-state-by-state-1559243998/.

Ligon, Z. (2020). Carnal Knowledge (1st ed., Vol. 1, Ser. 1). New York: Prestel Publishing.

Zine created for LANG120 (Johnson)

by Haley Watter

THE ISSUE

The debate over gun control is not a new argument. For many years, there have been those who support and those who oppose gun control. What has reignited the debate in the past was the increase in mass shootings over the past few decades. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence reports that “on average, 32 Americans are murdered with guns every day.” (Lunceford, 2015) Mass shootings and other violent acts of this nature, fuel anger and distress, pushing many to question the need for firearms in our society, while others see these incidents as a reason to remain armed.

Website created for LANG120 (Falter)

by Abigail Sgan

Written for LANG120 (Abrams Locklear)

Brazil Deserves Better than Bolsonaro

by Rafael Serra

The political scenario in Brazil has been unstable and unusual for a couple of years now, and it has impacted the population in a major way. Former Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, member of the Worker’s Party, who served from 2003 to 2010 was convicted on charges of money laundering and corruption and was arrested in April of 2018. Da Silva attempted to run in the 2018 presidential election, which brought more chaos to the country and made many Brazilians furious, but he was disqualified under Brazil’s Clean State Law. Da Silva was succeeded by Dilma Rousseff, who was from the same party. After finding her guilty of breaking Brazil’s budget laws, Rousseff was impeached in August of 2016, and the vice-president at the time, Michel Temer, took office temporarily until the end of the term. In her last speech as president, she tried to defend herself against supposed falsa allegations. She said, “I do not have bank accounts abroad; I never received bribes; I have never condoned corruption” (Lopes 2). According to Lopes, “Rousseff appeared to believe that a ruler’s actions cannot be challenged as long as he or she rose to power through popular support” (2).

These events made the Brazilian population rethink about who should govern the country and if a major change was needed, which lead to the election of Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 elections, who has “consistently and openly promoted a racist, homophobic, misogynist discourse in which he has argued in favor of torture and dictatorship and expressed a strong hostility to human rights” (Castro 1). Many questions arose after the far-right congressman and former army captain was elected, but most of them were related to one central question, why did Bolsonaro’s supporters vote for him? After conducting field research on a variety of ages and backgrounds in the run-up to the first round of voting in the presidential elections in early October 2018, Castro stated that “Bolsonaro’s supporters want change-and not just a change of political parties, but a change to the entire system in Brazil” (3).

Many people describe Bolsonaro as fascist and neo-Nazi, as well as a threat to democracy. One example of how Bolsonaro’s actions might go against democratic views was the situation with American journalist Glenn Greenwald. Greenwald was charged with cybercrimes for unearthing messages from the government, “accusing him not just of publicizing the information, but of taking part in a “criminal organization” that hacked into the cellphones of several prosecutors” (Londono and Casado), and people doubted if Bolsonaro was involved in this decision. Londono and Casado say that “Mr. Bolsonaro’s office declined to say whether the president or his aides were consulted about the decision to charge Mr. Greenwald” (“Gleen Greenwald in Bolsonaro’s Brazil: ‘I Trigger a Lot of Their Primal Rage”), but according to Rodrigo Maia, the center-right Speaker of the House, the case was a threat against freedom of the press. He said, “Without a free press there is no democracy” (Londono and Casado).

            During times of instability, we can see an increase in demagoguery, or practices that seek support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people, rather than by using rational argument. This concept was seen a lot during the 2018 Brazilian elections, and it can still be seen to this day in Brazilian politics. To analyze how people use demagoguery when talking about politics in Brazil, and more specifically when mentioning the name of Jair Bolsonaro, I will use the concept of binary thinking, explained in the book Demagoguery and Democracy by Roberts-Miller, where we see people with the same views as us as good, and people with different ideas as evil. I will also use the concept of charismatic leadership, where followers blindly believe the leader’s statements. Additionally, I will use Lloyd Bitzer’s idea of the rhetorical situation, or propitious moment for action to explain how it positively affected Bolsonaro’s election, and how he used a moment of crisis to gain more followers and support from the people. Lastly, I will employ Rhetoric by Aristotle to analyze how some of the rhetorical techniques helped Bolsonaro in his run for the presidency. Specifically, I will use ethos to explain how Bolsonaro’s character and background influenced his popularity in the 2018 elections.

During times of instability, we can see an increase in demagoguery, or practices that seek support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people, rather than by using rational argument.

            Mr. Bolsonaro has not been receiving good feedback since he assumed the presidency. After showing “opposition to the system and corruption” (Castro 2), referring to the previous government, he was accused of criminal conduct by his minister. According to Londono, Casado, and Andreoni, “President Jair Bolsonaro was already struggling to govern effectively when his star minister resigned and accused him of criminal conduct” (“A Perfect Storm in Brazil as Troubles Multiply for Bolsonaro”). Even after all the claims that he has made related to fascism and the struggle to govern the country, there are still people who support him. Lago and Orofino say “the truth is more disturbing: Mr. Bolsonaro knows what he’s doing” (“Bolsonaro Is Bizarre. But He Knows What He’s Doing”), a couple of lines after saying “Far from taking control, Mr. Bolsonaro has reveled in chaos” (“Bolsonaro Is Bizarre. But He Knows What He’s Doing”). This is an example of charismatic leadership, which “satisfies our desire to be part of something bigger, and, paradoxically, to hand all power over to someone else can make us feel more powerful because we think that person is the best version of ourselves” (Roberts-Miller 59). Here, the authors “blindly believe the leader’s statements” (Roberts-Miller 58), and “his followers are his eyes, ears and teeth” (Lago and Orofino ), meaning that no matter how absurd Bolsonaro’s statements are, his followers will support him because they have as much difficulty admitting flaws or errors on the leader’s part as they do on their own (Roberts-Miller 59).

            Mr. Bolsonaro needed a strategy to gain popularity before the 2018 elections, as well as to make people put aside what he has said and done in the past. He used the demagoguery strategy of binary thinking, where “actions are either good or bad, rather than lying somewhere on a range” (Roberts-Miller 54).  Castro said that “According to many of his supporters, Brazil faced a choice in the election between God and the devil. For them, the choice was between good and evil, dark and light, shadow and sunshine” (4). Bolsonaro did this by attacking his rivals, and “the violence of his words has been matched by his body language: his main campaign symbol, which went viral in social media, was to cock his fingers like a gun with which to shoot his political enemies” (Castro 1). Referring to his enemies as evil or bad wasn’t enough to keep Bolsonaro’s popularity high; he needed to silence another important mean of communication, the media. He has said several times that the Brazilian population should not rely on “traditional media outlets to get information, because they don’t have anything good to say about Brazil” (Barbara). Instead, the population should only watch his live broadcast, where according to Mr. Bolsonaro, “there is no misrepresentation, you get the news straight, as it is supposed to be given” (Barbara). This strategy is used by Mr. Bolsonaro to prevent people from getting negative information about him and to take control of the news.

He was able to use the concept of binary thinking because of the poor political situation that Brazil was going through at the time, and the events involving members of the opposed party, such as the imprisonment of former president Luiz Inacio Da Silva and the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, gave him a reason to attack them, as well as a response that fitted the situation. In this case, the response related the former government to the devil and him to God, who would save Brazil from the horrible situation it was going through. This concept of a propitious moment for action is called Kairos in rhetoric, and it “invites a fitting response, a response that fits the situation” (Bitzer 10), which was used effectively by Mr. Bolsonaro in his political campaign.

Mr. Bolsonaro relied heavily on the rhetoric ethos, where “persuasion is achieved by the speaker’s personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible” (Aristotle I. II). His campaign “drew heavily on religious imagery, socially exclusionary rhetoric, and a strong nationalist ethos, exemplified by his slogan: My party is Brazil” (Castro 1). Although these strategies helped him to gain votes in the election, it has caused thousands of deaths during the pandemic that we currently face. Londono stated that “Mr. Bolsonaro’s cavalier handling of the pandemic has contributed to a national response that public health experts regard as one of the worst in the world” (“Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Leading Virus Skeptic, Says He’s No Longer Infected”). By trying to maintain this image of a strong guy, who has served in the army and is not scared of anything, “he sabotaged quarantine measures imposed by governors by attending rallies, shaking hands in public, and urging Brazilians to continue working” (Londono), which made the virus spread quickly.

Although these strategies helped him to gain votes in the election, it has caused thousands of deaths during the pandemic that we currently face.

We can notice from the examples above that demagoguery is a useful tool in politics, especially in political campaigns where a candidate is trying to deteriorate the image of his or her competitors. The less information people have about demagoguery, the easier it is to persuade them by exploring emotions and ignorance, and that is why it is important to know how to recognize demagoguery in someone’s speech and propose an alternative to this problem. The best thing you can do to not fall into this trap and recognize when demagoguery is present, including in politicians’ speeches, is “you might choose to argue with family, friends, or random people who are repeating demagogic talking points” (Roberts-Miller 101). To do that, it is important to get familiar with fallacious arguments, because being able to name a fallacy in an argument is very helpful (Roberts-Miller 109).

In the world of politics, you should be able to recognize when the fallacy “false dilemma” is being used. This happens when there is a “limited number of options, generally forcing one’s hand by forcing one to choose the option he or she wants” Roberts-Miller 112). This was seen in the 2018 Brazilian elections when Mr. Bolsonaro stated that the population has to change the political party that is running the country, otherwise they will never see any improvements. Another fallacy you should know is “straw man,” which means dumbing down the opposition argument, where a rhetor is responding to arguments their opponent never made (Roberts-Miller 119). Mr. Bolsonaro did this when he used the imprisonment of former president Luiz Inacio Da Silva to argue that all politicians from the same party as him are corrupts and thieves, so people should not vote for them.

Events involving politicians from the workers’ party caused hopelessness in the Brazilian population, and that made people desperate, which caused the increase in demagoguery and the rise of a controversial candidate who used the situation in his favor. To avoid a similar situation in the future, people should start to argue with others who are using demagogic talking points, as well as being able to distinguish between good and bad arguments, where you will face a variety of fallacies that you should be able to recognize and discuss. This is important not only in politics but in all aspects of life. You will face arguments that shifts the stasis to group identity and that labels you as an out-group member when discussing issues such as climate change, gun control, immigration, and even the pandemic that we all currently face with the COVID-19, to name a few, so we must start to reveal which arguments are reasonable and valid, and which ones are based on demagogic talking points, which should be automatically rejected.

Written for LANG120 (Falter)

by Tyson Baker

created for LANG120 (Pisano)

by Zak Jordan

Video created for LANG120 (Pisano)