Crow applauded for defense of anthropology

The significance of studying anthropology was the focus of an Oct. 24 article in The Economist which applauded ASU President Michael M. Crow's response to Florida Gov. Rick Scott's dismissal of studying the liberal arts discipline.

"'You know, we don’t need a lot more anthropologists in the state,'" Scott reportedly told a right-wing host.  "'It’s a great degree if people want to get it, but we don’t need them here. I want to spend our dollars giving people science, technology, engineering, math degrees...so when they get out of school, they can get a job.'

"Few would defend deliberately educating more people who can't get jobs in anthropology, as such. ... Many, however, would defend educating more people in anthropology, regardless of what they wind up getting jobs in. In Slate on Friday, Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, gave the traditional and entirely accurate pitch:

"'[R]esolving the complex challenges that confront our nation and the world requires more than expertise in science and technology. We must also educate individuals capable of meaningful civic participation, creative expression, and communicating insights across borders. The potential for graduates in any field to achieve professional success and to contribute significantly to our economy depends on an education that entails more than calculus.'

"'Curricula expressly tailored in response to the demands of the workforce must be balanced with opportunities for students to develop their capacity for critical thinking, analytical reasoning, creativity, and leadership—all of which we learn from the full spectrum of disciplines associated with a liberal arts education. Taken together with the rigorous training provided in the STEM fields, the opportunities for exploration and learning that Gov. Scott is intent on marginalizing are those that have defined our national approach to higher education.'"

Read Crow's article in Slate: America needs broadly educated citizens, even anthropologists