Sociology of Ancient Studies Research
Our Research Team looks into what causes the decline of Ancient Studies.
Here you can learn about their research and ideas to save Ancient Studies!
GET THE FULL RUNDOWN
Watch SASA Director David Danzig and Research Team Leader Valeria Zupieta Lupo present on the current state of Ancient Studies and what the Research Team has accomplished thus far!
The current state of
Ancient Studies
The current discussion about the state of Ancient Studies has focused on its declining health. This perception has been particularly fueled, over the past decades, by the diminishing number of students, funding, and institutional support, as well as by the struggles to maintain courses, and sometimes even departments. But, to address this problem there is a need to complement the discussion with hard data.
Therefore, the main goal of this project is to write a white paper documenting the state of Ancient Studies in the United States. We also aim to create an up-to-date database with statistical data about the state and the trends of the Ancient Studies in the United States, as well as to generate comprehensive information and tools for questions and concerns related to the importance and the state of the field.
How to save Ancient Studies
Evidence and Resources
Why Humanities are Worth Saving
"We increasingly treat education as though its primary goal were to teach students to be economically productive rather than to think critically and become knowledgeable, productive, and empathetic individuals. This short-sighted focus on profitable skills has eroded our ability to criticize authority, reduced our sympathy with the marginalized and different, and damaged our competence to deal with complex global problems. And the loss of these basic capacities jeopardizes the health of democracies and the hope of a decent world."
Indicators of the Downward Trend
Decreases in Ancient Disciplines
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has put together a database of statistics regarding the study of humanities in the United States. The link below will take you to the Classical Studies section of this database.
Decreases in Humanities Studies
"...as has been recognized by many in the academy, the humanities are struggling. Fewer graduates are majoring in English, history, foreign language, or liberal arts now versus ten years ago".
"The plunge seems not to reflect a sudden decline of interest in the humanities, or any sharp drop in the actual career prospects of humanities majors."
"Robert B. Townsend, director of the Washington office of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, said that he began 'hearing concerns from faculty eight or nine years ago about declining enrollments' and that he sees the new data as confirming these fears".
SASA's Research Team is currently working on:
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Identifying indicators for the state of ancient studies
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Creating a standard definition of the Ancient Studies and categorizing its disciplines
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Compiling significant statistical data about enrollment and completion in higher education institutions
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Creating chart trends and drawing conclusions of the current state of ancient studies in the United States
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Generating new data through surveys
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Creating tools and data to answer the question about the importance of studying the ancient world.
Advisory Board
Young Kim
Associate Professor, Department of Classics and Mediterranean Studies and Department of History, University of Illinois at Chicago
Steven Hunt
Lecturer and Senior Teaching Associate for PGCE Classics at Cambridge University
Joy Connolly
President of American Council of Learned Societies
Robert Townsend
Program Director for Humanities, Arts and Culture at The American Academy of Arts & Sciences
James Corke-Webster
Senior Lecturer in Classics, History and Liberal Arts at King’s College London
John Kutzko
Executive Director of the Society of Biblical Literature