Why the arts matter
By Salam Dami, October 27 2024—
It has been a rough decade for the arts. The English government has cut arts funding by about 50 per cent in the past five years. In the U.S., funding for the arts has become embroiled in ideological battles, shifting from an academic to a political issue. Here in Alberta, our tuition hikes are matched only by ongoing cuts to faculty funding.
While the undervaluing of the arts is not a new problem, recent actions by institutions and policymakers have actively worked against these degrees. For example, the provincial government in Alberta has tied funding to metrics such as enrollment targets and employment rates. This reflects a troubling shift toward a profit-oriented view of education, where programs are judged primarily by their potential economic returns.
I have become accustomed to hearing the perception of art and social science students and their degrees described as lacking, a notion that slips into everyday conversation too easily. While it is easy to ignore public condescension, institutional policies that seem designed to offer arts students as little support as possible compared to their peers are harder to overlook.
A common refrain is that these degrees are not profitable, not worth the financial investment, and thus not worth the effort in teaching or pursuing them. There are no direct careers attached, no clear path to a six-figure job. However, the knowledge these degrees offer does not fit easily into a cost-versus-benefit model; it holds intrinsic value.
I understand that a university education is generally seen as an investment. Whether by parents who pay for it or banks that lend money, students are expected to gain skills that make them marketable and efficient in the workplace. Let me be clear: art degrees teach these skills. There is a reason politicians, artists and writers achieve their positions. They are trained to be media literate, communicate arguments clearly and efficiently and navigate situations with appropriate context. These are all skills sought after in today’s world. However, art degrees are also crucial not only for potential job opportunities but for the broader societal good.
They are essential to preserving democracy. Fascism has recently become a buzzword, with every side of the political spectrum using it to label the other. But how are we meant to fight an enemy we know nothing about? What is Fascism? A specific ideology or just the actions of your ideological rivals? This is why we need people studying Orwell, Fascist Germany, Dostoevsky and others. We need individuals learning the philosophical foundations of modern society—people who understand where we come from and can envision where we might go. This is why the Arts are important; they teach us about the fragile threads holding society together and our role in preventing them from unravelling while advocating for a more equal and just world.
These ideas may sound lofty, even pretentious, but they are important. Those educated in the alassics and their concepts of justice, the good life and governmental roles spurred the Renaissance, inspired the Enlightenment and formulated the idea of democracy that motivated America’s founding fathers to rebel against their colonizers. Their eventual success inspired the French Revolution, creating the foundations of our imperfect, vulnerable society today.
Art programs should not be viewed narrowly as cash cows meant to produce wealthy alumni. They should be recognized for being conservators of history and culture, capable of advancing society with the ideas they generate and essential to upholding the principles of democracy and good governance. Some things exist outside a for-profit model; some values cannot be quantified. The arts, social sciences, and humanities are not just degrees—they are safeguards of a free and democratic society. Governments should consider this when allocating funding.
This article is a part of our Opinions section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.