Rhetorical Analysis: Humanities Vs. STEM Majors

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Humanity studies are no doubt an important part of the American university: where would we be without teachers, molding young minds, writers creating great novels, or the great variety of ideas and topics that humanities create? Most college students are still flocking towards the STEM majors and treating humanities as its ugly cousin. Possibly because of the positive connotation that comes with a STEM major, being as opposed as those in humanities. Annette Gordon-Reed’s TIME published “Critics of the Liberal Arts are Wrong,” and Elaina Provencio’s Huffington Post published “The Major Divide: Humanities vs STEM,” both argue that compared to STEM majors, the humanities are just as, if not more, important than STEM majors, especially for careers. They both state that degrees in the humanities usually broadens one’s knowledge and offers a deeper look into certain topics and experiences, like knowing how to analyze and interpret text and stories, and communication skills…show more content…
Since her primary audience are college students her formal tone disconnects her a bit with her primary audience, although formal tone is more for her secondary audience of parents and employers. Throughout her article, Gordon-Reed persuades her audience that humanities majors are better and equips students better for careers. Later in her article she says “students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their fourth and fifth jobs,” to emphasize her earlier claim that studying humanities give students the ability to “write well, think critically, research critically and communicate easily” (Gordon-Reed 4). Gordon-Reed includes an economic sub argument by discussing the state of the U.S in paragraph’s two and five. Because of the recession, more college students started majoring in STEM specific jobs, as an assured job opportunity right after

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