Humanities/Art Geeks

[kailara]

Stride got me following Geek Feminist for a while. I haven't checked in recently unfortunately, so this morning I clicked over to see what I've been missing out on and found this post regarding Geekery and the Humanities. It's worth a read

Comments

[hawkfist]

I have found that in Geek circles, those which produce tangibles within the Humanities are more highly prized, perhaps because there is a tremendous overlap with the SCA (and similar groups), which emphasizes practical output over ephemeral intellectualizations.

Or perhaps I don't understand. Also always a possibility *grns*

[kailara]

That corresponds to my observations that "crafting" skills seem more highly prized and it makes sense in that it's much easier to value tangible items and outputs. The STEM fields have that - lasers, explosives, computers, etc - and the more craft focused humanities as well.

Seems like the geek value systems trend towards "But do you have useful skills for the Zombie Apocalypse?" - being able to read and intelligently discuss Shakespeare doesn't rank as highly as being able to knit a hat or build a solar still.

[hawkfist]

Well, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say any of it is tied into Survivalism as such (and its later pop manifestation, the "Zombie Apocalpse" *snickers*), but they don't have to be mutually exclusive, either - I have rudimentary skills as a leather worker and an armorer (IE just enough leatherworking to make SCA armor, and enough armorer to make my own articulated plate joints, 'cause when I was in the SCA I was a cheap bastard...), but I can also discuss the collected Works of Francis Bacon as Stolen By That Thief of a Glovemaker...err... that is to say, selected plays.

Hell, I used to make some spare change in college writing papers for non-English Major people who had to take some elective... I can't tell you how many times I wrote and re-wrote "The Three Witches, their antecedents and descendants" and variations, touching on the Erinyes, the Furies, the Wiccan Crone/Mother/Maiden, et cetera ad nauseaum. Ah, fun stuff, fun stuff...

[kailara]

Well, I overgeneralize a bit by going straight to "Apocalypse Preparedness Skills". Everyone I know has multiple skill sets - MBA and spinner/weaver, engineer and leather working skills, project manager and costume designer, etc. Some are STEM and humanities, and others are pure humanities.

Where I was really going with the thought about the hierarchical preferences for skills in geek culture was more that there seems to be a rough ranking of skill desirability along the lines of:

STEM skills generally
Engineering, physics or computer based skills specifically
all other "hard" sciences
Social sciences
Humanities involving production of useful items (sewing, weaving, costume design, leather working, etc.)
Humanities involving graphic art
All other art based humanities producing tangible items (esp. useful items)
Everything else

But that may be my own insecurities about the value of my own profession showing.