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Humanities essays

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What are the humanities?

The humanities refer to subjects that study people, their ideas, history, and literature. To put that another way, the humanities are those branches of learning regarding primarily as having a cultural character.

For example, one of the UK’s academic funding bodies, the Arts & Humanities Research Board or AHRB, tends to concentrate on the following sorts of subjects: Classics, Visual Arts and Media, Modern Languages, Music and Performing Arts, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Medieval and Modern History.

Key features – primary & secondary texts

In the majority of these subjects you begin with a primary text – e.g. a play or a film or a set of historical events. You are expected to show good knowledge of the primary text and to mount a discussion of it – or of aspects of it – that is located within current critical debate about it. You are expected to use your own judgement about other people’s judgements of the primary text.

Key features – logical argument

Readers of your essay will look for an argument that is clearly expressed in a logical order. They will not expect your essay to follow a specific set structure. For example, an English Literature essay might start with a plot summary of the work being discussed, a quote from the work or a quote from critical writing on the work. The important thing is to use your starting point to say clearly what you are going to write about and why; and to make the rest of your discussion flow naturally from it

Key features – balanced discussion

This is probably the one feature that distinguishes humanities essays from other sorts of writing. This does not mean that scientific papers or social science essays aren’t balanced discussions: it means that a humanities essay is more likely to have review various opinions and interpretations.

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Your Guide to Writing a Humanity Essay

Humanity Essay

Humanity is showing compassion and kindness to others. Writing a humanity essay involves analyzing various aspects of humanity in detail. This article gives you a guide on how to write a humanity essay.

Humanity essay examines the traits, beliefs, relationships, and experiences of people. It focuses on what it is to be human, as well as the struggles, victories, and bonds we make. The human experience is vast and complex, and writing a humanity essay paper allows you to explore this whether your assignment is to write on historical events, personal experiences, philosophical ideas, or societal issues.

How to write a humanity essay

Below is how you write a humanity essay:

  • Choose a topic

Humanity is a broad subject thus you should narrow it down to one of its subtopics. For instance, on a topic like war, you can narrow down to the causes and effects of a war. You should choose a topic that you are interested in and compose a good essay about it.

  • Write an essay outline

After choosing the topic, you should conduct in-depth research and write the information from the research in an essay outline. You should properly structure your essay outline where you note down the key points of every section of the essay. This includes the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Once you start writing your humanity essay, you should use the essay outline as the point of reference.

  • Write the introduction

You should begin the introduction with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be an interesting fact about your topic or a rhetorical question. Give background information on the topic and state its relevance. Write a strong thesis statement describing the essay’s main idea. For a better understanding of how to write the introduction, you should research various humanities essay introduction examples.

  • Write the body

The body describes the essay’s theme in depth. You should write well-structured paragraphs with a topic sentence that introduces the paragraph’s key point. Then write middle sentences giving fact-based information or examples of the paragraph’s key point. You should also give your interpretation. Complete the paragraphs with a concluding sentence.

Each paragraph should have a unique key point and if two paragraphs are about the same point use proper transition words such as ‘in addition’, ‘however’, or ‘moreover’. When writing the paragraphs, you should explore the essay’s theme giving your analysis and backing it with factual information or statistics. Always cite all the sources you researched your essay from using the instructed writing format.

  • Write the conclusion

The conclusion is a summary of the humanity essay thus you should not bring new information to it. You should summarize the essay’s key point. Rephrase the thesis statement and state its significance. Complete the conclusion with a closing statement or a call to action.

Using the steps above, you will be able to compose a good humanity essay. You can structure your humanity essay into a 5-paragraph essay . Research various humanities essay examples to properly comprehend the humanities essay structure.

What kind of essays do humanities use

Below are the various kinds of essays that humanities use:

  • Analytical essays

Analytical essays dissect a complicated subject into its constituent parts and examine the connections, importance, and ramifications of each. Critical thinking and making connections between various aspects are prerequisites for these writings.

  • Expository Essays

Expository essays give in-depth explanations of a concept on a topic. These essays offer a thorough and impartial investigation of the topic, frequently with the use of illustrations, proof, and understandable explanations.

  • Comparative essays

A comparative essay entails comparing and analyzing two or more concepts, books, artworks, and historical events. These essays draw attention to the similarities and differences between the concepts being compared as well as a thorough comprehension of each.

  • Literary Analysis Essays

Literary analysis essays analyze and interpret literary works, including plays, novels, and poetry. The topics, characters, symbolism, storytelling devices, and historical background of the work are all explored in depth in these studies.

  • Argumentative essay

Argumentative essays provide a coherent argument and back it up with facts, logic, and refutations. These essays require the writer to take a stance on a certain subject and defend their argument throughout the essay.

Importance of humanities in our lives

Below is the importance of studying humanities and the importance of humanities in our lives:

  • Promoting cultural understanding and empathy

People can immerse themselves in many cultures and historical eras through the study of the humanities. This exposure develops empathy and promotes a culture that is more understanding and aware of the world around them by enabling children to recognize the challenges, victories, and distinctive viewpoints of others.

  • Investigating the state of humanity

The humanities investigate the fundamental aspects of life on Earth, including feelings, goals, worldviews, and social structures. Students learn to struggle with age-old concerns about life, morality, and purpose as well as gain knowledge about the intricacies of human nature via the analysis of literature and philosophy.

  • Developing analytical and problem-solving skills

Education in the humanities fosters critical thinking, the assessment of opposing points of view, and the methodical solution to challenging issues. Students can challenge presumptions, take into account different viewpoints, and make well-informed decisions by delving into complex texts, artwork, and historical settings.

  • Improving expression and communication

Good education is characterized by effective communication. Humanities studies improve one’s ability to write, speak, and read critically, allowing one to express ideas nuancedly, convincingly, and clearly.

  • Cultural heritage preservation

Humanities subjects like literature and art conservation guarantee that human civilization is preserved for coming generations. Societies can comprehend the development of human expression and preserve a close relationship to their historical heritage by studying ancient writings, artifacts, and creative works.

Using the key points above you can compose an importance of humanities in our lives essay and the importance of studying humanities essay.

Tips for writing a humanity essay

  • Write an outline

Before you start writing your essay, you should write an outline. Writing an outline helps to properly plan and organize your ideas for the essay. In the outline, you should write the key points of the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Once you begin writing the essay, use the outline as a guide.

  • Come up with a strong thesis statement

The thesis statement describes the main purpose of the essay. It should be able to show the reader what your essay entails. For an argumentative essay, the thesis statement should be your stance in the argument while for an expository essay, the thesis statement should be the essay’s key idea.

  • Use the correct structure

When writing your essay, you should use the correct humanities essay structure. This ensures there is a flow of information throughout your essay. You should start with the introduction describing what your essay will entail, write the body paragraphs that describe the theme of the essay in-depth, and complete with a conclusion which is a summary of the whole essay.

  • Use proper transition words

When transitioning from one paragraph to the next, you should use proper transition words. You should always have a unique idea for each paragraph and if one paragraph has the same idea as the next you should use proper transition words. Examples of transition words include ‘additionally’, ‘therefore’, or ‘however’. Using transition words provides a consistent flow of information throughout your essay.

  • Cite all the sources

When writing humanities essays, you conduct research from different academic sources such as books, articles, journals, or internet blogs. You should properly cite all the sources used in your essay. When citing the sources, you should use the writing format instructed to use in your essay.

  • Follow all the instructions

When writing your essay, you should follow all the given instructions. This includes the word count and the writing format. You should avoid plagiarism and write an original paper. Plagiarized essays can be easily detected and you can get harsh academic repercussions for that.

  • Proofread the essay

You should proofread the humanity essay severally to omit any mistakes. Proofreading also helps you to check if your work is properly organized. In addition, you can also run your essay on Grammarly to remove any missed mistakes.

Humanities topics ideas

Below are the humanities topics for the essay:

  • Importance of human rights
  • Social changes in third-world countries
  • Causes of interstate conflicts
  • Eradication of worldwide poverty
  • Importance of preservation of historical facts
  • Ethical issues in the society
  • Ways to fight corruption in developed countries
  • Benefits and disadvantages of early marriages
  • The role of the judicial system
  • Effects of racism

The above are a few humanities research paper topics you can use for your humanities papers. When choosing a topic, you should choose a topic that you are interested in and can write a good essay about it.

Writing a humanity essay requires you to choose a topic, do research, and compose a well-structured essay. This article gives you a guide on how to write a humanity essay. If you need help with your humanity essay, we provide professional help with essays .

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16.8 Spotlight on … Humanities

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Describe various disciplines in the humanities.
  • Evaluate employment opportunities for graduates with humanities degrees.

Although all college instructors value good writing, each area of study has its own set of criteria by which writing is judged. For instance, the loose informal style and speculative content of a reflective essay might be appropriate for an English class but inappropriate for an anthropology class in which the instructor would expect the more formal structures established in that subject area.

As a discipline, the humanities include subjects that focus on human culture and values. Some subjects are literature, languages, classics, art history, film, musicology, philosophy, religion, and often history, which sometimes is placed in the social sciences. The humanities are the foundation of liberal arts and, as such, include a wide variety of writing genres. Research reports, biographies, literary analyses, ethnographies, quantitative reports, proposals, books, journal articles, poetry, film scripts, novels, stories, technical writing, and professional documents are forms of writing particular to the humanities.

As a rule, knowledge in the humanities focuses on texts and on individual ideas, speculations, insights, and imaginative connections. Interpretation in the humanities is thus relatively subjective. Accordingly, much of the writing and research in the humanities is characterized by personal involvement, lively language, and speculative or open-ended conclusions.

The field of English includes the study of not only literature but of literary theory and history, and not only composition but creative and technical writing. In addition, English departments often include linguistics, journalism, folklore, women’s studies, cultural or ethnic studies, and film. In other words, within even one discipline, you might be asked to write several distinct types of papers: personal experience essays for a composition course, analyses for a literature course, abstracts or case studies for a linguistics course, procedural texts for a technical writing course, and short stories for a creative writing course. Consequently, any observations about the different kinds of knowledge and the differing conventions for writing about them are only generalizations. The more carefully you study any one discipline, the more complex it becomes, and the harder it is to make a generalization that does not have numerous explanations.

Careers in the Humanities

Because humanities subjects emphasize critical thinking and clear writing, the skills humanities students obtain are valued in many fields other than the most obvious ones. Humanities majors have gone on to careers in law, medicine (humanities plus pre-med), advertising, journalism, TV and film writing and production, public relations, graphic design, teaching, technical and medical/scientific writing, human resources, and many others. For more information about career opportunities for humanities students, see these sites:

  • Humanities and Social Sciences Careers
  • Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs for Liberal Arts Majors
  • 25 Great Jobs for Humanities Majors

Students’ Stories

Despite strong interest in the humanities—especially in reading, writing, and language—some students avoid humanities subjects as majors because they think they won’t find jobs after graduation. Such fear, however, is unwarranted, as many organizations actively seek students who major in languages or in other humanities disciplines. These graduates are valued for their ability to interpret and analyze text and to write clear, concise, and compelling prose. Moreover, employers realize that students who concentrate on studying people—whether real or fictional—develop insights into human behavior and understanding of how to deal with it. For example, these students who graduated with degrees in humanities subjects have found rewarding work in humanities-related and business fields.

Gabriela Torres majored in film studies, with a minor in theater. Although more interested in the technical aspects of both, she took creative writing classes and enjoyed performing in several college productions. Soon after graduation, Gabriela joined the human resources (HR) department of midsized corporation. Her job is to train new hires and conduct in-service workshops for current employees. Recently her role has expanded to writing, producing, and acting in training videos in which she uses the skills she learned in college—and more.

Derrek Wilson became an international studies major after he received a summer stipend to study in Europe. After only a few weeks there and trips to historic sites, Derrek says he got “hooked on history.” The broad focus of his interdisciplinary major allowed him to take courses in humanities subjects: history, geography, religion, archaeology, and world literature. He had studied Spanish in high school and continued in college. Derrek graduated last year and now works as an international program coordinator for his university. Responsible for logistics of foreign students coming to the United States and for American students going abroad, he oversees housing accommodations, student visas, and travel arrangements. He loves his job and the time he gets to spend in different countries, but he plans to go to law school in a few years—with, you guessed it, a specialty in international and immigration law.

Despite his parents’ warnings that he’d never find a good job, Nick Marelli majored in English. He put his literary interests to work in college as managing editor of the literary magazine and arts editor of the newspaper. When he graduated, he applied, on a whim (and to please his parents), for a management trainee position at a large insurance company. Thinking he would get nowhere without business courses, he was surprised when a recruiter called him for an interview. The interviewer then told him that the company actively seeks English majors because they know how to read carefully, digest and summarize information, think critically, and write clearly, concisely, and correctly. Nick says, “I was surprised when I heard someone other than an English teacher say that. I really like my work, where I’m learning a lot on the spot rather than in a classroom.”

Thinking, Writing, and Publishing

Critical writing requires critical thinking. When an individual or collaborative team articulates their perspective, they provide new knowledge for audiences. In essence, all texts have potential to create new knowledge. A writer of any type of text has the potential to enter a conversation and show audiences new ways to look at a subject.

Learning how to write analytically and critically offers a skill set for crafting various genres, such as information reports, proposals, cost/benefit analyses, instructions, and so on. After you have completed your analysis for this chapter, consider submitting it to an open-access academic journal that highlights the work of undergraduate students in the humanities, such as these:

Undergraduate Journal of Humanistic Studies

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Writing Core Humanities essays

Writing is a major component of the Core Humanities program. It is also an essential skill that will help you to succeed in other courses and in your life beyond college. People who can express themselves clearly in writing have definite advantages over those who cannot, so take advantage of the writing opportunities provided in each course to practice getting better at this.

To write well, you must first have a sound grasp of the rules of grammar, but this alone is not enough to ensure good writing. You also need to think about the way you organize your ideas, how you present your argument, how you incorporate evidence and how you move from one idea to another in your essay. The following guidelines will help you to produce clearly written, well-supported, persuasive essays and to hone your communication skills.

Start early . Unless you are incredibly brilliant, you will not be able to write a really good essay the night before it is due. Insightful, well-organized papers result from careful thinking, re-reading of texts and re-writing of rough drafts, all of which take time.

Decide on a thesis . Good essays are more than just collections of facts or quotations from the readings. They are written with a clear point in mind - something the author wants to say. If the assignment is in the form of a question, your thesis will be your answer to the question. Make sure you have an answer before you begin to write. Do not simply write down everything you know about a topic without addressing the question.

Make an outline . Once you have decided what you are going to say, think about how you are going to say it. What evidence will you use to support your thesis? How will you arrange the evidence? How will you make sure your reader sees the same connections between your evidence and argument that you see? Making an outline forces you to think in an organized manner and arrange your thoughts in a sequence that makes sense. You can always change the organization of your essay later if you think of a better way to arrange your material, but you should always draw up some kind of plan before you begin to write.

Pay attention to structure . The "classic" essay structure (introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion) is classic for a reason: it works. Your introduction should set out clearly and succinctly the thesis of your essay, each body paragraph should provide evidence and/or analysis relating to the main point, the conclusion should summarize (again, succinctly but in different words from the ones you use in your introduction) what you have said.

Use graceful transitions . Your essay should flow logically and coherently from one paragraph to the next. Start a new paragraph for each new idea and try to make the first line of each paragraph relate in some way to the point you made in the preceding one. This is called a transition, or how you get from one idea to another. Just like changing gears, accelerating, or braking in a car, your transitions should be smooth, so that the reader hardly notices them. Good transitions can turn an above-average paper into one that is really classy.

Acknowledge any words and ideas that are not your own . You must properly recognize other people's words by enclosing any phrases taken directly from another source in quotation marks and providing the source information (author's last name, followed by the page number) in parentheses at the end of the sentence in which the quotation appears [e.g.: (Casper and Davies, 49)]. Ideas taken from outside sources and paraphrased in your own words, as well as little-known facts and statistics, must be acknowledged in the same way as direct quotations. See the advice about  avoiding plagiarism  for more information about how to acknowledge and cite sources.

A first draft does not mean you are finished . Read over, correct and re-write your first draft to eliminate bad grammar and syntax, unclear sentences, clumsy transitions, typing errors and spelling mistakes. Keep in mind that the spelling and grammar-check functions on your computer, although useful for a first run through, are no substitute for reading your paper carefully yourself.

Keep to the page limit . Being able to express your ideas clearly and succinctly is a valuable skill and revising an over-long paper to keep within a defined limit helps you to get better at this. If your first draft exceeds the page limit, go back and cut out any unnecessary words or sentences. Finding ways to restate your ideas more directly usually results in a better paper.

Think you are done?  Not quite. Proofread your paper again before you submit it to eliminate any new mistakes that might have crept in when you were revising it. It is often helpful to ask a friend or family member to read your paper before submitting it to make sure it all makes sense and to pick up any errors you may have missed.

Ask for help if you need it . Remember that your instructors are here to help you if you get stuck. If you are having trouble understanding the readings or lectures, email or make an appointment to see your discussion leader or professor. Your discussion section meeting each week is also a good time to ask any questions you have about the material.

A Guide to Structuring Academic Essays in the Humanities

Unlock the secrets of effective essay structure in the humanities with our comprehensive guide, designed to improve your grades and pave the way for future publication.

humanities essay intro

Navigating the conventions of academic writing in the humanities can be a daunting task, especially for graduate students. Many of us have sought guidance from professors or visited writing centers, only to receive vague advice like “figure it out.”

In this post, we aim to provide more concrete guidance by discussing the key elements of structuring an academic essay in the humanities. While the specifics of what you write will vary based on your course and interests, these guidelines will not only help you improve your grades but also enhance your chances of future publication.

State Your Thesis Up Front

The foundation of any successful academic essay in the humanities is the thesis statement, which represents your main argument. In the context of US-American academic writing, at least, this statement is the crux of your scholarly contribution and should be clearly articulated in a single sentence. It should appear at the very beginning of your paper or article, providing your readers with a roadmap for what to expect.

The timing of your thesis statement’s appearance may vary depending on the complexity of your topic. However, it’s generally recommended to place it within the first or second paragraph, rather than waiting until the end of the introduction. Ideally, your thesis should be introduced on the first page or page and a half of your writing.

Expanding on the Importance of the Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the heartbeat of your essay. It not only guides your readers but also keeps your writing focused and purposeful. When crafting your thesis statement, consider the following:

  • Clarity : Make sure your thesis statement is clear, concise, and specific. It should leave no room for ambiguity and give your readers a clear sense of the argument you will be making.
  • Debatable : A good thesis statement should present an argument that is open to debate. It should not be a universally accepted fact but rather a claim that you will support with evidence and analysis.
  • Relevance : Ensure that your thesis statement is directly related to the topic of your essay. It should address the central question or issue you intend to explore.
  • Scope : Be mindful of the scope of your thesis. It should be broad enough to provide room for discussion and analysis but not so broad that it becomes unwieldy.

Organize Your Writing Logically

To create a well-structured essay, you must organize it into clear and logical sections or paragraphs. Each section should revolve around a single main point or idea, and these ideas should flow in a logical sequence. The specific structure will vary based on your topic and research, but a general rule of thumb is to have 2–3 sections per course paper or article, each centered around different ideas or evidence.

The Art of Paragraphing

Paragraphs are the building blocks of your essay’s structure. Here are some tips on crafting effective paragraphs:

  • Unity : Each paragraph should have a clear focus or topic sentence. This sentence sets the stage for the rest of the paragraph and should relate to your thesis statement.
  • Coherence : Use transitions and logical connections to ensure that your paragraphs flow smoothly from one to the next. This helps your reader follow your argument effortlessly.
  • Development : Support your topic sentence with evidence, examples, or analysis. This is where you provide the meat of your argument.
  • Length : Paragraph length can vary, but in general, aim for paragraphs that are long enough to fully develop your point but not so long that they become unwieldy.

Additionally, use topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph to introduce the main point, and support it with relevant evidence or analysis. This approach enhances clarity and helps your readers follow your argument more effectively.

Expanding on Organizing Your Essay

The process of organizing your essay involves more than just structuring paragraphs. It requires careful consideration of the overall flow and coherence of your argument. Here are some additional tips:

  • Outline : Before you start writing, create an outline that outlines the main sections and their respective subpoints. This will serve as a roadmap for your essay.
  • Logical Sequence : Ensure that your ideas follow a logical sequence. This might mean starting with foundational concepts before delving into more complex arguments.
  • Transitions : Use transitional words and phrases to guide your readers from one point to the next. Words like “however,” “therefore,” and “conversely” help signal shifts in your argument.
  • Balance : Strive for balance in your argument. Avoid devoting too much space to one point while neglecting others. Each section of your essay should contribute to the overall thesis.

Use Headings and Subheadings

In humanities writing, essays, articles, and chapters are divided into different sections, each focused on one aspect of your argument supported by evidence. Avoid the common mistake of breaking these sections apart with extra spaces, asterisks, or other forms of punctuation. Instead, employ clear and concise headings to guide your reader through the various stages of your argument or the evidence supporting your thesis.

The Art of Crafting Effective Headings

Creating informative and effective headings is crucial to the organization and clarity of your essay. Here’s how to make the most of headings:

  • Descriptive : Headings should accurately reflect the content of the section they introduce. Be clear and specific.
  • Hierarchy : Use a clear hierarchy in your headings using font formatting (bolding, italics) and capitalization (headline or sentence style). Main headings divide your essay into major sections, while subheadings further break down these sections. 
  • Consistency : Maintain consistency in your formatting. If you use bold for main headings, continue this style for all main headings throughout your essay.
  • Parallel Structure : Keep the structure of your headings parallel. If your first main heading is a complete sentence, the rest should follow suit.
  • Avoid Overloading : Don’t cram too much information into a single heading. If a section becomes too complex, consider breaking it down into smaller subheadings.

Include an Introduction and Conclusion

Both introductions and conclusions serve as essential bookends for your essays, articles, chapters, and even entire books in the humanities. Therefore, it’s imperative to consider what information you need to present upfront to orient your reader and how to effectively summarize your results at the end.

In humanities writing, the introduction section typically lacks a heading, while the conclusion is often titled (though not always). Each of your sections should also feature introductions and conclusions. The introduction to these smaller parts informs your reader about what’s discussed below, while the conclusion acts as a transition into the next section.

The Power of Introductions and Conclusions

Introductions and conclusions play pivotal roles in shaping your reader’s experience and understanding of your essay. Let’s explore their significance further:

  • Introduction : Your introduction serves as the “hook” that captures your reader’s interest. It should provide context for your topic, establish its importance, and lead smoothly into your thesis statement. Think of it as setting the stage for the unfolding drama of your argument.
  • Conclusion : While the introduction opens the door to your argument, the conclusion provides closure. Here, you should summarize your main points, restate your thesis or research question, and offer a final thought or reflection. Avoid mere repetition; instead, provide a broader perspective or suggest implications of your findings.
  • Section Introductions and Conclusions : These smaller-scale introductions and conclusions serve as signposts within your essay, guiding your reader through your argument’s progression. They help maintain cohesion and transition smoothly from one idea to the next.
  • Connecting Back to the Thesis : Both your overall conclusion and section conclusions should connect back to your thesis. Emphasize how your findings or analysis support the central argument you’ve put forth.

Reflecting on the Significance

Ultimately, the structure of your academic essay should not be seen as a rigid framework but as a dynamic tool to effectively communicate your ideas and arguments. Each element—thesis statement, organization, headings, introductions, and conclusions—serves a specific purpose in helping your readers navigate your scholarly contribution.

In humanities writing, the art of crafting a well-structured essay involves striking a balance between these elements and weaving them seamlessly into your narrative. By adhering to the guidelines outlined in this post, you can navigate the complex world of academic writing with confidence and clarity, ensuring that your ideas resonate with your readers and contribute meaningfully to your field.

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Defining the Humanities Essay

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Defining the Humanities

Cultural event, music as an expression of humanity, comparison of the cultural expressions.

Various definitions have been given to the term humanity. Therefore, humanities are the many characteristics and branches of humanities such as theater, human being, art, culture, literature, food, music and the stories that try to bring out the sense in the world as we see it.

It is a discipline that introduces us into place and ideas that otherwise would not have crossed our minds. To elaborate further, humanities shows how events that took place in the past affect the present and the future, and how a person can evolve from the experience he has gone through and by what he has seen.

Humanities also look into the contributions of people either collectively or individually. An individual may think of the many discipline that humanity has to such as psychology, science and math and others that impact human culture.

“The humanities can be distinguished from other disciplines such as the social sciences, physical and biological because the humanities include the study of human subjects and the study of languages and literatures, the arts, history, and philosophy while all other forms of human inquiry are limited to the study of subjects that are not human (Proctor, 2008)”

These essay aims at bringing out the differences between humanities and the other forms of human inquiry and expressions.

The essay will aim at relating a particular cultural event that took place at a particular point in time and try to explain how the specific cultural event brought to the fore the lessons learnt concerning the humanities, cultural practice, art, style and genius of the period represented.

One of the most important cultural events I have experienced and which relate too is music. By definition, “music an artistic form of sound communication via musical instruments and voice that produce sounds and tones (Shaw, 2010)”. Music has been sung from time immemorial and it is as old as mankind.

The past cultures had music as does the present cultures. Some of the oldest songs were composed in 4 th century and written in cuneiform. By definition, cuneiform is a composition of characters made up of a collection of small wedge-shaped basics that were in use in traditional Persian and Sumerian writing.

“The certainty of how or when the first musical instrument was invented, however, most historians point to early flutes made from animal bones that are at least 37,000 years old (Reich, 2009)”

The music that was played in the late 50’s in Greece represented the humanities or the specific culture of the people of Greece during that era. Therefore, it can be seen that, music as a humanity reflects and mirrors the values and practices held through the life of an individual.

The music played today has undergone dramatic changes from the music that was played 50 years ago. The instruments used have also improved with the use of more modern instrument. The music has also changed with new genre of music coming up.

In the medieval age, only two styles of music were played and they were monophonic and polyphonic music only. From the medieval age, we came to the renaissance period which changed the way songs were composed and sung.

The classic genre of music was practiced in the Baroque era where music writers started composing and singing using various instruments and singing different styles of music. This allowed the artist to tell his story in his own unique way by the use of music.

In the 20 th century, music writers and artists were in a position to use varied instruments which far much sophisticated than instruments used in the medieval era. They make use of computers to change what they want in music, add sound effects and conduct computer work to enhance the sound quality of music.

This period was characterized by the emergence of various styles of music that are widely listened today. The styles include blues, hip-hop, rap, rhythm, rock and roll, gospel among others.

Music was used to express the inner feelings of human beings. There were songs sung during particular periods only to express certain feelings. For example, dirges were sung during funerals to console with the bereaved family. There were war songs that were sung to give the fighters morale to fight.

Music was used a symbol of cultural heritage. Music is conceived through the ear and thus used to express what the human is feeling such as sadness and happiness

The selected form of cultural expression which is music compares to other forms such as literature and storied in that they talked about the issues affecting people at that particular period and how the experiences shaped the future lives. The stories were told by the elderly and passed on to the next generation.

These impacted the present lives. The literature written during this time touched on the contemporary issues affecting people at that time. The literature was written in pamphlets and in scribes while currently it is written in more sophisticated materials such as the computer and laptops.

Therefore, music and literature compare in the sense that they were used to disseminate information that would help shape the lives of people in the future. These cultural expressions have undergone major changes which have made them more refined than in the 19 th century.

Proctor, R. (2008). Defining the Humanities. Indiana : Indiana University Press.

Reich, J. (2009). Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. New York: Cengage Learning.

Shaw, P. (2010). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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IvyPanda. (2019, July 3). Defining the Humanities. https://ivypanda.com/essays/defining-the-humanities/

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In defense of the humanities: Upholding the pillars of human understanding

This essay is part of a series exploring the enduring importance of the humanities. Stay tuned for more insights on why the humanities still matter.

Loss and literature

humanities essay intro

Maria and her grandmother, 2003.

Often, the shortest stories are the most resonant. 

In 2020, I lost my maternal grandmother. “Maternal,” in her case, was more than a qualifier–she quite literally played the role of “mother” in my life. My first words, my first steps, and the most formative milestones of my childhood and adolescence happened in her care. She bore the brunt of my insufferable teenage angst, offering a consoling embrace when life seemed to get ahead of me. When I lost her, a chapter of my life ended.

To lose such a constant in one’s early twenties is to lose a tether to one’s reality. The years after my grandmother’s death have been fraught with uncertainty. How could I possibly recover from such a loss? How are my accomplishments meaningful if she is not present to witness them? And, perhaps most disconcerting: who will I be by the time my own life begins to wane? 

Everyone copes with and experiences loss differently. For me, it was acutely alienating. My relationship with my grandmother was singular, making my perspective on loss unique. I operated for what felt like ages on the assumption that no matter how much support I had, I could not possibly be seen.

That is, until I picked up A Very Easy Death . This brief, 112-page memoir by Simone de Beauvoir details her mother’s final days from an honest, compassionate perspective. Laden with recollections of a mother-daughter relationship and personal confrontations with mortality, it resonated with me in a way that no other text had. The acts of death and grief are explored in her memoir as though de Beauvoir were sitting across from me at a bistro recounting the experience. For the first time since my own experience and despite preceding me by thirty-six years, someone had finally seen me.

The humanities: Studies of the human condition

The connection I achieved through literature highlights the critical importance of the humanities. Encompassing history, literature, philosophy, art, and more, the humanities provide a lens through which one can view one’s personal experiences–making the universal personal and the personal universal.

The humanities and humanism have evolved significantly over centuries. In Western society, humanism traces back to Greece in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE. Sophists saw humanism as a cultural-educational program, aiming for the development of human faculties and excellence, as noted in Perez Zagorin’s “On Humanism Past & Present.”  

humanities essay intro

Agrippa: Human Proportions in Square. n.d. Wellcome Collection.

In Rome, the concept evolved into “an ideal expressed in the concept of humanitas … [which] designated a number of studies–philosophy, history, literature, rhetoric, and training in the oratory.” Most influential, though, was the humanism that emerged from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that was “centered increasingly upon human interests and moral concerns rather than religion.” Its purpose was to cultivate a population of Christian men who were well-spoken, literate, and capable of integrating with high society. 

Growing more secular over time, humanist values began to compete with the physical and biological sciences, the social sciences, and other modern subjects which comprised nineteenth century liberal education. Zagorin suggests that scientific and empirical research approaches overtook human-centered perspectives, particularly after the massive loss of life in World War I and the disillusionment that followed. 

“Through de Beauvoir’s philosophical inquiries into life and death, I was able to confront and process my own grief more profoundly. Her reflections on mortality and the mother-daughter relationship resonated deeply with me, helping me to navigate my personal loss while also offering insights into the universal human condition.”

Scholarly perspectives on the importance of the humanities

Scholars argue that the humanities are essential for comprehending complex social dynamics and ethical questions. In “The Power of the Humanities and a Challenge to Humanists,” Richard J. Franke argues that humanistic interpretation “contributes to a tradition of interpretation.” Franke posits that human emotions and values are at the core of humanistic study, offering the ability to explore domains that “animate the human experience.” This is precisely how my engagement with Simone de Beauvoir’s memoir, A Very Easy Death, provided a foundation for evaluating broader human concerns.

humanities essay intro

Le Brun, Charles, 1619-1690., and Hebert, William, fl. 18th century. A Man Whose Profile Expresses Compassion. n.d. Wellcome Collection.

Through de Beauvoir’s philosophical inquiries into life and death, I was able to confront and process my own grief more profoundly. Her reflections on mortality and the mother-daughter relationship resonated deeply with me, helping me to navigate my personal loss while also offering insights into the universal human condition. This connection underscores the humanities’ power to transform personal experiences into a deeper understanding of shared human emotions and values.

Moreover, Franke postulates that subjects under the humanities all lend themselves to critical thinking, which he defines as “that Socratic habit of articulating questions and gathering relevant information in order to make reasonable judgements.” Through the humanities, one can approach topics from varied vantage points to develop a holistic understanding of them. 

In a study published in 2018 by the Journal of General Internal Medicine , medical students across institutions suggested that exposure to the humanities had an appreciable influence on their “tolerance of ambiguity, empathy, and wisdom.” The study’s discussion section further indicates that both the performance and observance of drama increase empathy, and that “even good literature prompts better detection of emotions.” These findings highlight that studying the humanities cultivates essential skills and attributes that have practical applications in real-world settings.

Scholarship, then, suggests that the humanities teach us to be human, whether through the ability to form nuanced questions or to feel empathy. I experienced this firsthand while reading Simone de Beauvoir’s A Very Easy Death. Her detailed account of her mother’s final days helped me navigate my own grief. It also gave me a deeper understanding of the emotional complexities involved in facing mortality as a concept. These characteristics—developed through engagement with the humanities—can improve interpersonal relationships and foster a more empathetic and accepting society.

The impact of the humanities extends beyond personal growth; it influences professional practices and societal outcomes. The empathy and wisdom nurtured by humanities education can enhance the quality of patient care in the medical field, as evidenced by the medical students’ testimonies. Similarly, professionals in law, education, and public policy benefit from the critical thinking and ethical reasoning stimulated by humanities education. By emphasizing these real-world applications, we can better advocate for the continued support and integration of the humanities in various sectors of society.

Challenges affecting the humanities: Economic pressures and academic isolation

Even in light of their demonstrated value, the humanities face significant challenges that threaten their vitality and relevance. In “ The Decline of the Humanities and the Decline of Society,” Ibanga B. Ikpe describes how today’s labor market increasingly demands qualifications for specific sectors. Courses in the humanities that are not tailored to particular career paths put them at a disadvantage in universities. 

Ikpe also attributes the decline in humanities education to the fact that “economic rather than academic motivations have become the primary basis for decision making in universities.” He raises the notion that the humanities and similar disciplines cannot be elucidated into digestible pieces of information, which makes them more difficult to sell. The more defined the subject, the more profitable. Thus, funding for humanities programs at educational institutions has reduced significantly. This has both limited resources for teaching and research and signaled a devaluation of the humanities as a whole. 

Finally, Ikpe presents the argument that humanities scholars are partially to blame for the current state of the humanities. He raises the accusation that humanities scholars have become withdrawn from greater society, sequestering themselves in academia. The niche views and dialogues they produce in this environment may sever their connection with a broader audience. 

Sustaining the humanities today

The future implied by the above rings grim, but there are still significant opportunities to advocate for the humanities by highlighting their interdisciplinary relevance to contemporary issues. For example, the study of ethics in philosophy can provide crucial insights into debates on artificial intelligence and biotechnology. Similarly, understanding historical contexts can help policymakers make informed decisions about current social and political challenges.

Organizations like JSTOR play a crucial role in preserving and promoting the humanities. JSTOR’s vast digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources ensures that humanities scholarship remains accessible to students, researchers, and the public, advancing knowledge, strengthening critical thinking, and supporting interdisciplinary studies.

ITHAKA, the parent organization of JSTOR, is also increasing the utility of this knowledge. More than a mere repository, ITHAKA uses technology to analyze and contextualize vast amounts of information, making it more accessible and meaningful. By doing so, they help transform scholarly resources into practical tools that can drive real change in society. Their initiatives facilitate connections between research and practice, allowing the humanities to inform solutions to contemporary challenges.

By leveraging the support of organizations like JSTOR and embracing technological advancements, we can turn the tide in favor of the humanities. Advocating for their interdisciplinary relevance and addressing contemporary social issues will ensure that these vital disciplines thrive. The humanities are not relics of the past—they are essential to navigating the complexities of the present and shaping the future.

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Watch The Humanities: A Bridge to Ourselves to understand how humankind discovers itself

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humanities , those branches of knowledge that concern themselves with human beings and their culture or with analytic and critical methods of inquiry derived from an appreciation of human values and of the unique ability of the human spirit to express itself. As a group of educational disciplines , the humanities are distinguished in content and method from the physical and biological sciences and, somewhat less decisively, from the social sciences. The humanities include the study of all languages and literatures , the arts , history , and philosophy . The humanities are sometimes organized as a school or administrative division in many colleges and universities in the United States .

The modern conception of the humanities has its origin in the Classical Greek paideia , a course of general education dating from the Sophists in the mid-5th century bce , which prepared young men for active citizenship in the polis, or city-state; and in Cicero ’s humanitas (literally, “human nature”), a program of training proper for orators, first set forth in De oratore ( Of the Orator ) in 55 bce . In the early Middle Ages the Church Fathers, including St. Augustine , himself a rhetorician, adapted paideia and humanitas —or the bonae (“good”), or liberales (“liberal”), arts, as they were also called—to a program of basic Christian education; mathematics , linguistic and philological studies, and some history, philosophy, and science were included.

Encyclopædia Britannica: first edition, map of Europe

The word humanitas, although not the substance of its component disciplines, dropped out of common use in the later Middle Ages but underwent a flowering and a transformation in the Renaissance . The term studia humanitatis (“studies of humanity”) was used by 15th-century Italian humanists to denote secular literary and scholarly activities (in grammar , rhetoric , poetry , history, moral philosophy , and ancient Greek and Latin studies) that the humanists thought to be essentially humane and Classical studies rather than divine ones. In the 18th century, Denis Diderot and the French Encyclopédistes censured studia humanitatis for what they claimed had by then become its dry, exclusive concentration on Latin and Greek texts and language. By the 19th century, when the purview of the humanities expanded, the humanities had begun to take their identity not so much from their separation from the realm of the divine as from their exclusion of the material and methods of the maturing physical sciences, which tended to examine the world and its phenomena objectively, without reference to human meaning and purpose.

Contemporary conceptions of the humanities resemble earlier conceptions in that they propose a complete educational program based on the propagation of a self-sufficient system of human values. But they differ in that they also propose to distinguish the humanities from the social sciences as well as from the physical sciences, and in that they dispute among themselves as to whether an emphasis on the subject matter or on the methods of the humanities is most effectual in accomplishing this distinction. In the late 19th century the German philosopher Wilhelm Dilthey called the humanities “the spiritual sciences” and “the human sciences” and described them, simply, as those areas of knowledge that lay outside of, and beyond, the subject matter of the physical sciences. On the other hand, Heinrich Rickert , an early 20th-century Neo-Kantian, argued that it is not subject matter but method of investigation that best characterizes the humanities; Rickert contended that whereas the physical sciences aim to move from particular instances to general laws, the human sciences are “idiographic”—they are devoted to the unique value of the particular within its cultural and human contexts and do not seek general laws. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the American philosopher Martha Nussbaum emphasized the crucial importance of education in the humanities for maintaining a healthy democracy , for fostering a deeper understanding of human concerns and values, and for enabling students to rise above parochial perspectives and “the bondage of habit and custom” to become genuine citizens of the world.

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UCI Humanities Core

Winter: Essay Assignment 3

Visual analysis of a worldbuilding artwork by a contemporary african american artist.

Downloadable Essay Rubric

Select a work of art by Sanford Biggers, Titus Kaphar, or Carrie Mae Weems using the online resources linked below. Conduct a close visual analysis of the artwork and consult relevant scholarly secondary sources about the artist’s practice and larger oeuvre. Construct an interpretive thesis about the meaning represented by the artwork and provide specific evidence from your close visual analysis and secondary sources in support of your argument. As you develop your ideas and claims, consider the following questions: How do the materiality, composition, and iconography of this artwork create meaning? If the artwork is part of a series, in what way does it relate to the project of the larger whole? Does the artwork remake an earlier object or reimagine a preexisting genre? If so, how and why? In what specific ways does the work of art engage with history and politics? How does the artwork negotiate with the representation and/or lived experiences of Black people? What way of seeing the world does this artwork create?

Your final paper will be between 5–6 pages in length and will be worth 40% of your writing grade.

Learning Goals

  • Make specific, complex, arguable claims
  • Produce unified, cohesive body paragraphs that contain arguable topic sentences, well-selected and properly-integrated evidence from visual objects and scholarly reference sources, and rhetorically-effective introduction, conclusion, and transitions between ideas
  • Adopt the appropriate stance, style, and genre conventions of visual and art historical analysis
  • Begin to evaluate scholarly claims, identify scholarly conversations, and integrate secondary source material in writing
  • Practice process-oriented writing and learn flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proofreading drafts while also reflecting on the process of writing itself

Required Reading

Before you begin brainstorming for this assignment, make sure you have read the following:

Cooks, Bridget. “What’s Wrong with Museums? African American Artists Review Art History.” Humanities Core Handbook: Worldbuilding 2023–2024 , XanEdu, 2023, pp. 154–67.

Beauchamp, Tamara. “Visual Analysis and Close Looking.” Humanities Core Handbook: Worldbuilding 2023–2024 , XanEdu, 2023, pp. 168–182.

Primary Sources

Sanford Biggers

Sanford Biggers: Work (Note: If this site does not load in your browser, you can view the archived version on Internet Archive . Additional information about specific works can be found in the Checklist in Anderson and Betta’s Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch , pp. 167–9 [ PDF ])

Codeswitch exhibition website from the Rivers Institute

Marianne Boesky Gallery

Titus Kaphar

Kaphar Studio: Work (Note: This site works best on desktop browsers and in a wide browser window.)

Roberts Projects

Gagosian Gallery

Carrie Mae Weems

Carrie Mae Weems: Bodies of Work

Museum of Modern Art

Getty Museum

The Hampton Project at the Williams College Museum of Art

Fraenkel Gallery

The Whitney Museum of American Art

Reference Resources, Scholarly Secondary Sources, and Exhibition Catalogues

UCI Libraries has compiled a guide to resources on African American Art and History specifically for this assignment. For more information on using library resources, review the Humanities Core Library Introduction Tutorial .

The following materials are available online or are in the Course Reserve at UCI Langson Library for two hours at a time. To check out any material on Course Reserve, read the Reserves policy and then visit the Check Out desk at Langson Library .

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Andersson, Andrea, and Antonio Sergio Bessa. Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch . The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 2020. [ PDF of excerpts available on Canvas ]

Bernier, Celeste-Marie. Stick to the Skin: African American and Black British Art, 1965-2015 . University of California Press, 2018. [ On reserve at Langson Library N6538.N5 B475 2018 ]

Bey, Dawoud, and Carrie Mae Weems. Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: in Dialogue . Delmonico, 2022. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR645.G73 D39 2022 ]

Biggers, Sanford and Miki Garcia. Sanford Biggers: Moon Medicine . Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, 2010. [ On reserve at Langson Library N6537.B5225 A4 2010 ]

Catlett, Elizabeth, et al. Stargazers: Elizabeth Catlett in Conversation with Sanford Biggers, Carrie Mae Weems, et al. Bronx Museum of the Arts, 2010. [ On reserve at Langson Library N6537.C38 A4 2010 ]

Cooks, Bridget R. Exhibiting Blackness: African Americans and the American Art Museum . University of Massachusetts Press, 2011. [ On reserve at Langson Library N510.C67 2011 ]

Cooks, Bridget R. “Intricate Illusion.” Titus Kaphar: Classical Disruption . Friedman Benda, 2011, pp. 5-40. [ PDF ]

Cooks, Bridget R., and Sarah Watson, editors. The Black Index . Hunter College Art Galleries, 2021. [ On reserve at Langson Library N8217.B535 B53 2021 ]

Delmez, Kathryn E. Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video . Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 2012. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR647.W383 2012 ]

English, Darby, et al. Among Others: Blackness at MoMA . The Museum of Modern Art, 2019. [ On reserve at Langson Library N8232.E55 2019 ]

Feldman, Zeena, editor. Art and the Politics of Visibility: Contesting the Global, Local and the in-Between . I.B. Tauris, 2017. [ Online and on reserve at Langson Library NX180.S6 A78 2017 ]

Jacob, Mary Jane. Carrie Mae Weems . Fabric Workshop/Museum, 1994. [ On reserve at Langson Library N6537.W344 A4 1994 ]

Kaphar, Titus. “A Fight for Remembrance.” The Georgia Review , vol. 69, no. 2, 2015, pp. 199–208. JSTOR , http://www.jstor.org/stable/44077632 .

Kaphar, Titus, and Jason Stanley. “Titus Kaphar.” BOMB , no. 147, 2019, pp. 81–88. JSTOR , https://www.jstor.org/stable/26876294 .

Lewis, Sarah Elizabeth, editor. Carrie Mae Weems . The MIT Press, 2020. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR187.C375 2020 ]

Lewis, Sarah Elizabeth. “The Insistent Reveal: Louis Agassiz, Joseph T. Zealy, Carrie Mae Weems, and the Politics of Undress in the Photography of Racial Science.” To Make Their Own Way in the World: The Enduring Legacy of the Zealy Daguerreotypes , edited by Ilisa Barbash, et al., Aperture, 2020, pp. 297-328 [ PDF ]

Millstein, Barbara Head. Committed to the Image: Contemporary Black Photographers . Brooklyn Museum of Art in association with Merrell, 2001. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR645.N532 B7 2001 ]

Patterson, Vivian, et al. Carrie Mae Weems: The Hampton Project . Aperture, 2000. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR647.W54 2000 ]

Rothenberg, Ellen and Carrie Mae Weems. Telling Histories: Installations by Ellen Rothenberg and Carrie Mae Weems . University of Washington Press, 1999. [ On reserve at Langson Library N6537.A6284 A4 1999 ]

Weems, Carrie Mae. And 22 Million Very Tired and Very Angry People . Walter/McBean Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, 1992. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR647.W375 1992 ]

Weems, Carrie Mae. Constructing History: A Requiem to Mark the Moment . Savannah College of Art and Design, 2008. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR647.W443 2008 ]

Weems, Carrie Mae, et al. Carrie Mae Weems: The Louisiana Project . Newcomb Art Gallery, 2004. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR645.W54 W384 2004 ]

Weems, Carrie Mae. Then What? Photographs and Folklore . CEPA Gallery, 1990. [ On reserve at Langson Library TR647.W415 1990 ]

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Understanding IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

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  • 2nd September 2024

Introduction to IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

  • 1 Introduction to IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures
  • 2 Key Components of a Successful IELTS Task 2 Essay
  • 3 Common IELTS Task 2 Essay Types and Their Structures
  • 4 Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your IELTS Task 2 Essay
  • 5 Tips and Strategies for Mastering IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

Welcome to our guide on IELTS Task 2 essay structures , where we aim to demystify the different formats and strategies involved in crafting an effective essay. Understanding the structure is essential, as it forms the backbone of our response and allows us to communicate our ideas clearly and persuasively. In this section, we’ll explore the primary structures used in the IELTS Task 2 essay , ensuring we are well-prepared for the exam.

When approaching the IELTS Task 2 essay , it’s vital to recognize that there are four main types of essays we might encounter:

  • Opinion Essays – Where we state our viewpoint on a particular issue.
  • Discussion Essays – In which we examine various perspectives surrounding a topic.
  • Problem-Solution Essays – Focused on identifying problems and proposing solutions.
  • Advantages and Disadvantages Essays – Where we weigh the pros and cons of a specific situation.

Each of these essay types has its unique requirements, but all share a common structure that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, we will introduce the topic and present our thesis statement. The body paragraphs will be dedicated to elaborating our arguments, providing supporting evidence, and analyzing different viewpoints if necessary. Finally, in the conclusion, we will summarize our main points and restate our position regarding the question posed. Mastering these essential components of IELTS Task 2 essay structures is crucial for achieving a high score in the writing section.

Key Components of a Successful IELTS Task 2 Essay

In our journey to master the IELTS, understanding the key components of a successful IELTS Task 2 essay is crucial. Each component plays a significant role in creating a coherent and compelling argument while adhering to the assessment criteria set by the examiners. Let’s explore these essential elements together.

Firstly, a clear and concise thesis statement sets the foundation of our essay. This statement should encapsulate our main argument or viewpoint and help guide the reader through our thoughts. It’s vital to make our stance evident from the beginning, allowing us to stay focused throughout the essay.

Next, we focus on developing well-structured paragraphs that support our thesis. Each paragraph must contain a topic sentence that introduces the main idea, followed by evidence, examples, and explanations. This structure not only boosts the clarity of our writing but also enhances the logical flow, which is essential for achieving a high score.

  • Coherence and Cohesion: Using transitional phrases and linking words is essential to connect our ideas smoothly.
  • Addressing the Task Properly: We need to ensure that we fully understand and address all parts of the prompt.
  • Variety of Vocabulary and Sentence Structures: Demonstrating a range of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy is crucial for scoring high.

By mastering these key components of a successful IELTS Task 2 essay , we can significantly enhance our writing skills and our chances of securing a favorable score in the IELTS exam.

Common IELTS Task 2 Essay Types and Their Structures

As we prepare for the IELTS exam, understanding the common IELTS Task 2 essay types and their structures becomes essential for success. There are several distinct types of essays that candidates may encounter, each with its own specific requirements and characteristics. Below, we’ll explore these types in detail, helping us to grasp their structures and enhancing our writing skills.

The primary common IELTS Task 2 essay types include:

  • Opinion Essays : These essays require us to express our viewpoint on a particular issue. The structure typically follows a clear introductory paragraph, followed by two or three body paragraphs that provide supporting arguments, and concludes with a summary of our stance.
  • Discuss Both Views Essays : In this format, we need to discuss two conflicting perspectives on a topic. The structure should include an introduction outlining the issue, separate body paragraphs dedicated to each view, and a conclusion that may also express our personal opinion.
  • Problem-Solution Essays : These essays focus on identifying a problem and proposing one or more solutions. We start with an introduction that introduces the problem, followed by paragraphs that elaborate on the problem and its significance, and conclude with a discussion on potential solutions.
  • Advantages and Disadvantages Essays : In this type, we analyze the positives and negatives of a particular issue. We can structure it with an introduction, followed by two body paragraphs—one for advantages and another for disadvantages—and a conclusion that summarizes our findings.

By familiarizing ourselves with these common IELTS Task 2 essay types and their respective structures, we bolster our chances of achieving a higher score. Effective practice and understanding the demands of each type will enable us to articulate our thoughts clearly and cohesively in the exam.

Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your IELTS Task 2 Essay

Creating a successful IELTS Task 2 essay can be a daunting challenge, but with the right approach, we can simplify the process. This step-by-step guide will assist us in organizing our thoughts and structuring our essays effectively, ensuring we meet the examiners’ requirements while clearly articulating our arguments.

To start, let’s outline our essay with a clear plan. We should follow these essential steps:

  • Understand the prompt: Analyze the question to identify what is being asked.
  • Brainstorm ideas: Jot down our thoughts on the topic, focusing on relevant arguments.
  • Structure our essay: Organize our ideas into a coherent outline, typically consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
  • Write the essay: Begin with the introduction, followed by well-developed body paragraphs, and wrap it up with a compelling conclusion.
  • Review and revise: Allocate time to proofread our essay, checking for grammatical errors and clarity.

Using this straightforward step-by-step guide , we can tackle our IELTS Task 2 essay with confidence. Each stage in this process builds upon the previous one, leading us toward crafting a well-structured and persuasive essay that showcases our skills and knowledge effectively.

Tips and Strategies for Mastering IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

In our journey to excel in the IELTS Task 2 essay, understanding the structure is crucial. A well-organized essay not only helps in conveying our ideas effectively but also adheres to the assessment criteria that examiners use. Here are some essential tips and strategies we can implement to master the IELTS Task 2 essay structures.

  • Familiarize ourselves with different essay types: It’s important to recognize that IELTS Task 2 includes various essay types such as opinion essays, discussion essays, and problem-solution essays. Each type has a unique structure that we need to follow.
  • Craft a strong thesis statement: Our introduction should include a clear thesis statement that outlines our main argument or stance. This statement will guide the reader through our essay, setting the tone for the discussion.
  • Utilize topic sentences: Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that clearly presents the main idea of that paragraph. This strategy adds cohesion and helps us stay focused on the point we are making.
  • Plan and outline: Before we start writing, it’s helpful to spend a few minutes organizing our thoughts. An outline can serve as a roadmap, ensuring that our arguments flow logically and coherently throughout the essay.

By adopting these strategies and continually practicing, we enhance our writing skills and boost our confidence in tackling the IELTS Task 2 essay. Remember, consistent practice will lead us to discover our unique writing style, making us more effective communicators in the exam.

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humanities essay intro

  • Cultural Immersion (31)
  • English for Specific Purposes (ESP) (30)
  • IELTS and Exam Preparation (31)
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  • American Folklife Center

Folklife and Creative Writing: Resources in the American Folklife Center

Introduction.

  • Cowboy poetry
  • Veterans poetry
  • Living Nations, Living Words
  • Brazilian Chapbooks
  • Veteran Memoirs
  • Plays and Novels
  • Non-Fiction
  • Library Blog Posts and Podcasts
  • Additional Resources
  • Searching the Collection
  • Maggie Jones,  Folklife Intern, American Folklife Center
  • Melanie Kimball,  Folklife Intern, American Folklife Center
  • Meg Nicholas, Folklife Specialist, American Folklife Center

Created:  June 13, 2024

Last Updated:  August 6, 2024

Ask a Librarian: American Folklife Center

American folklife center : ask a librarian.

Have a question? Need assistance? Use our online form to ask a librarian for help.

color image of blue ink writing scrawled on a yellowed piece of paper

This guide provides an introduction to doing research on the topic of creative writing using American Folklife Center collections, and serves as a companion piece to an existing guide on Narrative and Verbal Arts in AFC collections. While the American Folklife Center archive contains primarily unpublished materials, in some cases a collection may include a manuscript or drafts of poems, essays or memoirs that were later published.

The Center's Collection Policy Statement lists nine areas of distinction for its collections, including "Narrative and Verbal Arts." The policy statement has this to say about this area of distinction:

Narrative and Verbal Arts encompass a wide range of genres including stories, myths, legends, jokes, fan literature, memes, proverbs, folk poetry, and cowboy poetry, as well as premier collections of American English regional dialects, plus collections of Gullah (Sea Islands Creole), Caribbean, and French-based Creole dialects.

For the purposes of this guide, "creative writing" encompasses examples of the written word found in AFC archival collections. This may refer to collections of materials written about AFC archival collections, or it may refer to a manuscript item that forms part of a donated collection. The items featured here often cross genres, including poetry, memoirs, and manuscripts for novels, essays and other non-fiction writing. To aid in navigation, collections have been grouped according to the following genres:

  • Autobiography and Memoir
  • Non-Fiction and Essays

Some collections may feature one creative writing style, while still others contain examples of multiple genres. In the latter case, the collection has been grouped according to the genre which best describes its contents.

In addition to these genre collections, the AFC archive also has items which pertain to the act of writing itself. These include interviews with notable authors which include descriptions of their writing process, as well as an exploration of writing for archival cataloguing.

Some of the collections and resources featured in this guide are available online. Others, including many non-digitized collections of note, require a visit to the American Folklife Center reading room. This guide is not intended to serve as a comprehensive record of all AFC archival collections relevant to this subject.

Writers Found in AFC Collections

  • Maya Angelou
  • Allen Ginsberg
  • Stetson Kennedy
  • Arthur Miller
  • Toni Morrison
  • Zora Neale Hurston

Cover Art

There is a digital presentation of this collection.

Cover Art

Creative Writing in the American Folklife Center

humanities essay intro

Richard Joseph Heh, author. "My Last Mission" poem written by Richard Joseph Heh. Richard Joseph Heh Collection (AFC 2001/001/87986), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

A man stands in front of a microphone holding a piece of paper, reading a poem to an unpictured crowd.

Lyntha Scott Eiler, photographer. John Russell, of Montcoal, reading a poem entitled "Keeper of the Forest" at the University of Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia. March 15, 1996. Coal River Folklife Collection (AFC 1999/008), American Folk

Digital scan of a draft scene written by Alan Lomax for an unpublished script about the characters Mind and Matter

Alan Lomax, writer. Draft of unpublished scene from a play about the embodied characters Mind and Matter. Alan Lomax Collection (AFC 2004/004), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

humanities essay intro

Unrealeased outtake footage of an interview with poet Allen Ginsberg . Bruce Jackson and Diane Christian Collection (AFC 2011/009), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

humanities essay intro

Bess Lomax Hawes, writer. Bess's early writing, from 1930. Bess Lomax Hawes Collection (AFC 2014/008), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

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  • Last Updated: Aug 23, 2024 3:22 PM
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What a Thesis Paper is and How to Write One

A student sitting at her laptop working on her college thesis paper.

From choosing a topic and conducting research to crafting a strong argument, writing a thesis paper can be a rewarding experience.

It can also be a challenging experience. If you've never written a thesis paper before, you may not know where to start. You may not even be sure exactly what a thesis paper is. But don't worry; the right support and resources can help you navigate this writing process.

What is a Thesis Paper?

Shana Chartier,  director of information literacy at SNHU.

A thesis paper is a type of academic essay that you might write as a graduation requirement for certain bachelor's, master's or honors programs. Thesis papers present your own original research or analysis on a specific topic related to your field.

“In some ways, a thesis paper can look a lot like a novella,” said Shana Chartier , director of information literacy at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “It’s too short to be a full-length novel, but with the standard size of 40-60 pages (for a bachelor’s) and 60-100 pages (for a master’s), it is a robust exploration of a topic, explaining one’s understanding of a topic based on personal research.”

Chartier has worked in academia for over 13 years and at SNHU for nearly eight. In her role as an instructor and director, Chartier has helped to guide students through the writing process, like editing and providing resources.

Chartier has written and published academic papers such as "Augmented Reality Gamifies the Library: A Ride Through the Technological Frontier" and "Going Beyond the One-Shot: Spiraling Information Literacy Across Four Years." Both of these academic papers required Chartier to have hands-on experience with the subject matter. Like a thesis paper, they also involved hypothesizing and doing original research to come to a conclusion.

“When writing a thesis paper, the importance of staying organized cannot be overstated,” said Chartier. “Mapping out each step of the way, making firm and soft deadlines... and having other pairs of eyes on your work to ensure academic accuracy and clean editing are crucial to writing a successful paper.”

How Do I Choose a Topic For My Thesis Paper?

Rochelle Attari, a peer tutor at SNHU.

What your thesis paper is for will determine some of the specific requirements and steps you might take, but the first step is usually the same: Choosing a topic.

“Choosing a topic can be daunting," said Rochelle Attari , a peer tutor at SNHU. "But if (you) stick with a subject (you're) interested in... choosing a topic is much more manageable.”

Similar to a thesis, Attari recently finished the capstone  for her bachelor’s in psychology . Her bachelor’s concentration is in forensics, and her capstone focused on the topic of using a combined therapy model for inmates who experience substance abuse issues to reduce recidivism.

“The hardest part was deciding what I wanted to focus on,” Attari said. “But once I nailed down my topic, each milestone was more straightforward.”

In her own writing experience, Attari said brainstorming was an important step when choosing her topic. She recommends writing down different ideas on a piece of paper and doing some preliminary research on what’s already been written on your topic.

By doing this exercise, you can narrow or broaden your ideas until you’ve found a topic you’re excited about. " Brainstorming is essential when writing a paper and is not a last-minute activity,” Attari said.

How Do I Structure My Thesis Paper?

An icon of a white-outlined checklist with three items checked off

Thesis papers tend to have a standard format with common sections as the building blocks.

While the structure Attari describes below will work for many theses, it’s important to double-check with your program to see if there are any specific requirements. Writing a thesis for a Master of Fine Arts, for example, might actually look more like a fiction novel.

According to Attari, a thesis paper is often structured with the following major sections:

Introduction

  • Literature review
  • Methods, results

Now, let’s take a closer look at what each different section should include.

A blue and white icon of a pencil writing on lines

Your introduction is your opportunity to present the topic of your thesis paper. In this section, you can explain why that topic is important. The introduction is also the place to include your thesis statement, which shows your stance in the paper.

Attari said that writing an introduction can be tricky, especially when you're trying to capture your reader’s attention and state your argument.

“I have found that starting with a statement of truth about a topic that pertains to an issue I am writing about typically does the trick,” Attari said. She demonstrated this advice in an example introduction she wrote for a paper on the effects of daylight in Alaska:

In the continental United States, we can always count on the sun rising and setting around the same time each day, but in Alaska, during certain times of the year, the sun rises and does not set for weeks. Research has shown that the sun provides vitamin D and is an essential part of our health, but little is known about how daylight twenty-four hours a day affects the circadian rhythm and sleep.

In the example Attari wrote, she introduces the topic and informs the reader what the paper will cover. Somewhere in her intro, she said she would also include her thesis statement, which might be:

Twenty-four hours of daylight over an extended period does not affect sleep patterns in humans and is not the cause of daytime fatigue in northern Alaska .

Literature Review

In the literature review, you'll look at what information is already out there about your topic. “This is where scholarly articles  about your topic are essential,” said Attari. “These articles will help you find the gap in research that you have identified and will also support your thesis statement."

Telling your reader what research has already been done will help them see how your research fits into the larger conversation. Most university libraries offer databases of scholarly/peer-reviewed articles that can be helpful in your search.

In the methods section of your thesis paper, you get to explain how you learned what you learned. This might include what experiment you conducted as a part of your independent research.

“For instance,” Attari said, “if you are a psychology major and have identified a gap in research on which therapies are effective for anxiety, your methods section would consist of the number of participants, the type of experiment and any other particulars you would use for that experiment.”

In this section, you'll explain the results of your study. For example, building on the psychology example Attari outlined, you might share self-reported anxiety levels for participants trying different kinds of therapies. To help you communicate your results clearly, you might include data, charts, tables or other visualizations.

The discussion section of your thesis paper is where you will analyze and interpret the results you presented in the previous section. This is where you can discuss what your findings really mean or compare them to the research you found in your literature review.

The discussion section is your chance to show why the data you collected matters and how it fits into bigger conversations in your field.

The conclusion of your thesis paper is your opportunity to sum up your argument and leave your reader thinking about why your research matters.

Attari breaks the conclusion down into simple parts. “You restate the original issue and thesis statement, explain the experiment's results and discuss possible next steps for further research,” she said.

Find Your Program

Resources to help write your thesis paper.

an icon of a computer's keyboard

While your thesis paper may be based on your independent research, writing it doesn’t have to be a solitary process. Asking for help and using the resources that are available to you can make the process easier.

If you're writing a thesis paper, some resources Chartier encourages you to use are:

  • Citation Handbooks: An online citation guide or handbook can help you ensure your citations are correct. APA , MLA and Chicago styles have all published their own guides.
  • Citation Generators: There are many citation generator tools that help you to create citations. Some — like RefWorks — even let you directly import citations from library databases as you research.
  • Your Library's Website: Many academic and public libraries allow patrons to access resources like databases or FAQs. Some FAQs at the SNHU library that might be helpful in your thesis writing process include “ How do I read a scholarly article? ” or “ What is a research question and how do I develop one? ”

It can also be helpful to check out what coaching or tutoring options are available through your school. At SNHU, for example, the Academic Support Center offers writing and grammar workshops , and students can access 24/7 tutoring and 1:1 sessions with peer tutors, like Attari.

"Students can even submit their papers and receive written feedback... like revisions and editing suggestions," she said.

If you are writing a thesis paper, there are many resources available to you. It's a long paper, but with the right mindset and support, you can successfully navigate the process.

“Pace yourself,” said Chartier. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. Setting smaller goals to get to the big finish line can make the process seem less daunting, and remember to be proud of yourself and celebrate your accomplishment once you’re done. Writing a thesis is no small task, and it’s important work for the scholarly community.”

A degree can change your life. Choose your program  from 200+ SNHU degrees that can take you where you want to go.

Meg Palmer ’18 is a writer and scholar by trade who loves reading, riding her bike and singing in a barbershop quartet. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English, language and literature at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and her master’s degree in writing, rhetoric and discourse at DePaul University (’20). While attending SNHU, she served as the editor-in-chief of the campus student newspaper, The Penmen Press, where she deepened her passion for writing. Meg is an adjunct professor at Johnson and Wales University, where she teaches first year writing, honors composition, and public speaking. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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About southern new hampshire university.

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SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

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Echoes of Concern—AI and Moral Agency in Medicine

  • 1 Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
  • 2 Program for Biomedical Ethics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
  • 3 Division of Medical Ethics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
  • 4 Solomon Center for Health Law & Policy, Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut

At a lively dinner after a medical ethics seminar this spring, while discussing the ethical implications of the rapidly evolving technological landscape of medicine, the group’s conversation turned to artificial intelligence (AI). As a cardiologist and an internist, and as fellow clinical ethicists, we reflected on how AI might impact the physician-patient relationship.

The cardiologist recalled seeing a patient for preoperative cardiac risk stratification before noncardiac surgery shortly after finishing her fellowship training. The patient had neither a personal nor family history of cardiac disease nor any cardiac symptoms or significant risk factors. He could easily climb a flight of stairs carrying a bag of groceries without any exertional symptoms, and his examination was unremarkable except for a possible soft ejection click on cardiac auscultation. She debated whether to order an echocardiogram for further evaluation, but she held off. She wanted to “choose wisely” as advanced by the American Board of Internal Medicine 1 and engage in parsimonious care as advocated by Edmund Pellegrino. 2 She had observed so much unnecessary cardiac testing during fellowship, and his pretest probability of significant cardiac disease, given his overall clinical picture, seemed very low.

Read More About

Hull SC , Fins JJ. Echoes of Concern—AI and Moral Agency in Medicine. JAMA Cardiol. Published online September 02, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2024.3512

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Artificial Intelligence Resource Center

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IMAGES

  1. Intro to humanities Essay Example

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  5. INTRODUCTION TO HUMANITIES Essay Example

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  1. ELEC111: Intro to Humanities (Music, Student Group Report)

  2. Humanities Intro Video

  3. Universal Materials: General Essay Guide

  4. Essay Intro conclusions of all types of essays class of 15 Jan 2021

  5. How to Write an Essay

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COMMENTS

  1. PDF The Senior Essay in Humanities

    Introduction 3 Calendars 4 (1) Full-Year Essays 4 (2) One-Term Essays (Fall 2021) 5 (3) One-Term Essays (Spring 2022) 5 Requirements and Guidelines 7 The Process 10 ... The Senior Essay in Humanities is a substantial scholarly work that reflects the author's personal concerns, talents, and interests. ...

  2. 1.2: Introduction to Humanities Overview

    1.2: Introduction to Humanities Overview. This course is an introductory survey of the genres and themes of the humanities. Readings, lectures, and class discussions will focus on genres such as music, the visual arts, drama, literature, and philosophy. As themes, the ideas of freedom, love, happiness, death, nature, and myth may be explored ...

  3. The Writing Center

    The conclusion leaves the reader with the information and/or impact that the writer wants; it is often what the reader remembers most by providing the final discharge of energy that the paper has built up. It is the writer's last chance to convince the reader. A conclusion often suggests larger implications now that the evidence has been ...

  4. 5.2: Writing in the Humanities

    Introduction. Like most papers and essays, an introduction is absolutely necessary when writing in the humanities. There can be some confusion as to which should come first; the introduction or the thesis statement. This decision could probably be clarified by asking your instructor. Many writers include the thesis statement in their introduction.

  5. 4.1: Basic Essay Structure

    4.1: Basic Essay Structure. Essays written for an academic audience follow a structure with which you are likely familiar: Intro, Body, Conclusion. Here is a general overview of what each of those sections "does" in the larger essay. Be aware, however, that certain assignments and certain professors may ask for additional content or require ...

  6. Writing in The Humanities: the Seminar Paper and Beyond

    Zero Draft1/Strategic Pre-Writing: freewrites or thought pieces. Outline: Simple or complex, sketch out the first draft. First Draft: Get the ideas down AKA "the vomit draft". Second Draft: Revise structure, focusing on argument, evidence, transitions and big-picture claims.

  7. PDF Introductions1 (Humanities Papers)

    In a humanities essay, a strong introduction does most or all of the following: 1. engages the reader's attention 2. identifies for a reader the essay's critical question/focused topic 3. provides background information necessary to help readers understand the scope of the topic

  8. Humanities essays

    The humanities refer to subjects that study people, their ideas, history, and literature. To put that another way, the humanities are those branches of learning regarding primarily as having a cultural character. For example, one of the UK's academic funding bodies, the Arts & Humanities Research Board or AHRB, tends to concentrate on the ...

  9. Your Guide to Writing a Humanity Essay

    For a better understanding of how to write the introduction, you should research various humanities essay introduction examples. Write the body; The body describes the essay's theme in depth. You should write well-structured paragraphs with a topic sentence that introduces the paragraph's key point. Then write middle sentences giving fact ...

  10. 16.8 Spotlight on … Humanities

    Introduction; 3.1 Identity and Expression; 3.2 Literacy Narrative Trailblazer: Tara Westover; 3.3 Glance at Genre: The Literacy Narrative; 3.4 Annotated Sample Reading: from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass; 3.5 Writing Process: Tracing the Beginnings of Literacy; 3.6 Editing Focus: Sentence Structure; 3.7 Evaluation: Self-Evaluating; 3.8 Spotlight on …

  11. Writing Core Humanities Essays

    Writing Core Humanities essays. Writing is a major component of the Core Humanities program. It is also an essential skill that will help you to succeed in other courses and in your life beyond college. People who can express themselves clearly in writing have definite advantages over those who cannot, so take advantage of the writing ...

  12. A Guide to Structuring Academic Essays in the Humanities

    In humanities writing, essays, articles, and chapters are divided into different sections, each focused on one aspect of your argument supported by evidence. Avoid the common mistake of breaking these sections apart with extra spaces, asterisks, or other forms of punctuation. ... In humanities writing, the introduction section typically lacks a ...

  13. C100

    1. Task 1 - Introduction to Humanities. Coursework 100%(11) 20. C100 Study Guide - Lecture notes Module 1-6. Lecture notes 93%(80) 8. C100 Intro to Humanities OA Study Guide.docx.

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    Therefore, humanities are the many characteristics and branches of humanities such as theater, human being, art, culture, literature, food, music and the stories that try to bring out the sense in the world as we see it. Get a custom essay on Defining the Humanities. It is a discipline that introduces us into place and ideas that otherwise ...

  15. PDF The Senior Essay in Humanities

    3. In practice, the Senior Essay in Humanities takes the form of an essay substantially longer than a standard Yale College term paper. Thirty (30) double-spaced pages in a standard 12-point font is the minimum length for the main text excluding the bibliography, appendices, and other notes of unusual length. There is no maximum length.

  16. PDF WritingaResearchPaperintheHumanities(

    Write down interesting problems, questions, tensions, and gaps in the discourse. All of these provide an opportunity for you to contribute new ideas to the conversation. Keep track of them somewhere. Every problem is a gift. Write out lists, questions, ideas that confuse you, and interesting problems.

  17. In defense of the humanities: Upholding the pillars of human

    In "The Power of the Humanities and a Challenge to Humanists," Richard J. Franke argues that humanistic interpretation "contributes to a tradition of interpretation.". Franke posits that human emotions and values are at the core of humanistic study, offering the ability to explore domains that "animate the human experience.".

  18. Essay On Humanity in English for Students

    500 Words Essay On Humanity. When we say humanity, we can look at it from a lot of different perspectives. One of the most common ways of understanding is that it is a value of kindness and compassion towards other beings. If you look back at history, you will find many acts of cruelty by humans but at the same time, there are also numerous acts of humanity.

  19. Humanities

    The humanities include the study of all languages and literatures, the arts, history, and philosophy. The humanities are sometimes organized as a school or administrative division in many colleges and universities in the United States. The modern conception of the humanities has its origin in the Classical Greek paideia, a course of general ...

  20. 1.1: Introduction to Humanities Overview

    This course is an introductory survey of the genres and themes of the humanities. Readings, lectures, and class discussions will focus on genres such as music, the visual arts, drama, literature, and philosophy. As themes, the ideas of freedom, love, happiness, death, nature, and myth may be explored from a western and non-western point of view.

  21. Winter: Essay Assignment 3

    Your final paper will be between 5-6 pages in length and will be worth 40% of your writing grade. Learning Goals. Make specific, complex, arguable claims. Produce unified, cohesive body paragraphs that contain arguable topic sentences, well-selected and properly-integrated evidence from visual objects and scholarly reference sources, and ...

  22. Humanities 101: Intro to the Humanities

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  23. Understanding IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

    Structure our essay: Organize our ideas into a coherent outline, typically consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Write the essay: Begin with the introduction, followed by well-developed body paragraphs, and wrap it up with a compelling conclusion.

  24. Introduction

    Creative writing excerpt from Alan Lomax collection. Alan Lomax Collection (AFC 2004/004), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. This guide provides an introduction to doing research on the topic of creative writing using American Folklife Center collections, and serves as a companion piece to an existing guide on Narrative and Verbal Arts in AFC collections.

  25. 1.8: An Introduction to the Arts and Humanities

    Among some of art's purposes, art can: (1) provide a record; (2) give visible or other form to feelings; (3) reveal metaphysical or spiri­tual truths; and ( 4) help people see the world in new or innovative ways. Art can do any or all of these. They are not mutually exclusive.

  26. What is a Thesis Paper and How to Write One

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  27. Echoes of Concern—AI and Moral Agency in Medicine

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