The Value of Humanities
Humanities are described as the study of human culture, which seeks to create meaning, and involves studying human expressions and their recreation into arts (Week 1 Lesson). According to Lim and Marsaglia (2018), humanities involve studying how people process and document human experiences; thus, helping them make sense of the world. Because nursing is a humanistic caring profession, nurses enter human experiences when caring for people. Understanding human nature will help nurses make sense of the human condition and make them more empathetic.
Subjects covered by humanities like music, arts, literature, dance from the past plays a role in my life. As a nurse, they enhance my career by helping me cope with exposure to sickness and human suffering. It has the potential to create professional conscience by instilling virtues like empathy, fairness, and compassion (Goldin & Ramai, 2013). Humanities make me a better person; this is because the study of
helps one develop the capacity to communicate more effectively; listening and interpreting (Goldin & Ramai, 2013).
Out of the large pool of the humanities, music stands out for me. As a devout Christian, religious music has always been part of my personal life. Growing up, I spent lots of time practicing music and singing individually and as a church choir member. My husband, my daughter, and my son, who plays the keyboard, are all great music lovers; as such, music has remained a significant force in my life and a cohesive force for my family. For my career, it is the go-to counselor. It provides me with a therapeutic outlet every time I have a long day at work, thus helping me relax and manage work-related stress.
Though I don’t know a lot about paintings, there is this one painting by the 19th-century French painter Claude Monet, Soleil levant, that has always fascinated me. As Small (2013) states, “our tastes in art connects with our deep feelings…background information about a work of art and increased sensitivity to its artistic form intensify our responses.” When first I saw the painting, I thought it was simplistic, then I learned more about it and the impressionist movement it helped launch and the courage these artists had to muster to go against the status quo. I believe this masterpiece symbolizes my life as I have never been one to be held back by the status quo; rather, I believe change should not only be embraced but must be pursued.
References
Goldin, S & Ramai, D. (2013). Humanities in medicine: preparing for practice. Perspect Med Educ. Vol 2(5-6): 332–334. Retrieved September 01, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3824758/
Lim, F & Marsaglia, M. (2018). Nursing Humanities: Teching for a Sense of Salience. Nursing Education Perspective. Vol 39, 121-122. Retrieved September 01, 2020, from http://ovidsp.dc2.ovid.com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/ovid-b/ovidweb.cgi?
Small, H. (2013). The Value of the Humanities (Vol. First edition). Oxford: OUP, Oxford.
Week 1 Lesson