Abstract:

What is the role of humanities in higher education? Answers to this question are complex and diverse, debated widely by scholars, educators, and administrators as programs of study become more specialized and industry-driven to meet employment needs. To help unpack this debate, this paper investigates the role of the humanities in supporting the development of cultural competence in the career-focused university classroom.

Universities are now challenged with developing students’ communication and critical thinking skills to promote cultural competence in both the academy and professions. While 21st century skills primarily focus on the development of technological literacy in 21st century contexts, the role of cultural competence is becoming increasingly significant in post-graduate employability traits and industry values. Among others, these skills include cultural literacy, tolerance, and global awareness. With this complex context in mind, this paper argues that creating opportunities for students to learn and reinforce cultural competence through Humanities curriculum supports the development of cultural competence and communication skills and contributes to the larger goals of 21st century and global competence. Now, more than ever, the humanities are foundational in producing educated global citizens.

This paper utilizes a Cultural Studies methodology to support the development of Humanities curriculum. By considering Stuart Hall’s deconstruction of the notion of culture, Paulo Freire’s work on educational and social theory, and notions of how culture “travels” through digital communication networks, this paper highlights the importance of diversity and complex cultural communities in the context of higher education. The role of the humanities becomes even more significant when weighted with the challenge of preparing students to enter the global job market. Using this theoretical schema as a platform, this paper argues that integrating cultural competence lessons contributes to: developing 21st century student-centered learning spaces; creating opportunities for sustained and reflective learning; and promoting the translation cultural discourse and intellectual inquiry to career paths and emergent global networks.

The trajectory of these ideas is developed through a case study of the Hispanic Studies concentration program for nursing students at Chamberlain University in the United States. The goal of the curriculum in this program concentration is to translate study into action by developing opportunities for students to engage with the diverse politics, policies, and sociocultural discourses that create Hispanic identity politics in the United States. Through assignments that promote and challenge notions of cultural awareness and sensitivity and a curriculum that privileges subaltern histories, these courses work to support students who plan to work in traditionally underserved communities. This paper examines this program by, first, examining the literature of Cultural Studies as a theoretical lens for curriculum design. Second, this study utilizes specific assignment examples to illustrate the foundations of cultural inquiry. Third, this study considers the applicability of such assignments and knowledge acquisition to the success in the global workforce. Finally, this paper concludes with redefining global competence in a higher education context to offer a model for emerging programs.

Keywords:

Humanities, Cultural Competence, Cultural Studies, Global Competence.