Digital Humanities

A Darker Humanities

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 “It is clear that the 21st century university is fundamentally networked, nearly impossible to envisage without the objects and methodological practices of the computational sciences.” While this is true, and every department uses computers to some degree, it is the humanities that are hit hardest.  Computers were supposed to change the discipline, to led it to a new level and explore the options that they have. They have done that, but what we see know in relation to the humanities and the university is not pretty.  Universities incorporate the use of digital technology because it’s where the world is and because it’s where the university sees some loopholes.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 In the humanities, a lot of digital projects are planned and put into motion after they have received their grant money.  But it is after the money runs out that problems begin.  When the money runs out, there is nobody to look after a site (at least not for money).  That in turn causes the university administration to look at that professor just a little bit differently; and say “they don’t meet tenure requirements.”  A lot of the DH projects do not count toward promotions or tenure. I don’t know all the reasons why, but a failed website/project, in essence, does not get you very far.

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 Interdisciplinary collaboration.  The best way to put a wall between the DH and the university is to have other well defined disciplines work with the humanities. If those other disciplines are well connected and don’t have much of a bad reputation, the likely hood of that interdisciplinary collaboration failing will be less likely and the projects that result from that are guaranteed more of a success than if the DH was to do them alone.

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