Faculty of Humanities
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FACULTY FOCUS A MONDAY MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES BEING HUMAN What the humanities teach us about the human condition PAGE 4&5 RECLAIMING LIFE LESSONS TSOTSITAAL DRAWING THE LINE THE PAST Can study in the Unique South African Carrol Clarkson on How do we live humanities help you live words and phrases the role of art in with history? a more meaningful life? the creation of a just society PAGE 11 PAGE 4&5 PAGE 7 PAGE 9 2 MONDAY MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT HUMANITIES 3 A WORD FROM THE DEAN HALLS OF HISTORY Curated by Lwando Nteya & Thaheer Mullins Professor Sakhela Buhlungu Dean of the Faculty of Humanities A brief tour of the humanities of bygone times, told It gives me great pleasure to Our academics equip students with Study on the State of the Humanities through UCT buildings. introduce you to the Faculty of skills that are crucial for engaging in South Africa: Status, prospects and Humanities at UCT. Ours is the with the material and non-material strategies. One of the findings of Upper Campus largest of the six faculties, with aspects of being human. I am proud the study was that “the evidence approximately 6 000 students, 25% to say that we produce graduates on humanities graduates shows The Arts Block is one of the Gender Institute and is named after of whom are postgraduates. The equipped with fundamentally clearly that virtually all humanities original UCT structures, designed the diamond magnate, previous demographic profile of the students important skills – analytical and graduates are employed, that the by architect JM Solomon, who sadly chancellor of the university has been changing rapidly in recent communication skills, research and vast majority (more than 80%) work committed suicide before he was able (presiding from 1967 to 1999), and years, such that in 2014, the majority writing skills, argumentation and for an employer while the rest are to see his work completed. Arts 100 one of the world’s richest men. of our undergraduate students are decision-making. UCT humanities self-employed, and that there is a is one of the few lecture theatres on The Leslie complex (Leslie Social black, coloured and Indian (53%), graduates are highly sought after fair spread of graduate employment campus featuring its original design. Science and Leslie Commerce), while the remainder are white (32%) in the labour market, locally and across the public and private sectors” The Beattie Building houses originally a series of huts, was and other groups (15%, made up of globally. Although our graduates are (ASSAf, 2011, p127). the humanities faculty’s offices, named after the first professor of international, ‘race undeclared’ and able to secure jobs on the strength Space does not allow me to take and was named (in 1964) after Sir economics at UCT, Robert Leslie, Chinese students). Our faculty is also of their first humanities degrees, you through the vast array of John Caruthers (Jock) Beattie, the and was completed in 1979. the most complex; not only because we have also noted a trend by many exciting courses, degrees, diplomas principal and first vice-chancellor UCT’s Department of Psychology of the large number of disciplines students to advance to postgraduate and certificate programmes on of UCT (1918-1937). He’s also the (based in the humanities) is located that constitute it, but also because study, which further enhances their offer in our faculty. Suffice it to say only person to be buried on upper with the sciences in PD Hahn, of the variety of study programmes skills and employment prospects in that students who love exploring campus, with his grave situated just named after the Jamieson Professor and research activities. high-level positions. ideas about how to make the world above UCT’s tennis clubhouse. of Experimental Physics and The disciplines and study areas fall A humanities qualification prepares a better, more humane and just The Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Practical Chemistry, Paul Daniel into five broad clusters – education, students for a multitude of career place will find our faculty extremely Centre for Jewish Studies and Hahn (at whose request women languages, the performing and paths in the public sector, the private exciting and attractive. After all, the Arts Block PD Hahn Research is based at Rachel Bloch were admitted to study chemistry). A creative arts, the social sciences, and sector, the media, the NGO sector, study of the humanities has been House. Established in 1980, under the great deal of the art you’ll see in the professionally oriented programmes. consultancy services, and careers in at the centre of the evolution of terms of a gift to the University of building is by Associate Professor The one thing they have in common research and academia. Analytical the university and the pursuit of Cape Town by the Kaplan Kushlick Fritha Langerman, director of the and problem-solving skills as well as is a focus on the human condition scholarship, from the time of the Foundation and named after the Michaelis School of Fine Art. the ability to think laterally are valued in all its dimensions. Our scholars great philosophers in Athens and parents of Mendel and Robert The Humanities Building has and developed across all fields in engage with the meanings of being other parts of the world, all the way Kaplan, the Kaplan Centre seeks to lived many lives – first as the home human and how those meanings the modern world. These abilities to the present. Study of the humanities has been stimulate and promote the field of of the Faculty of Education, then as change over time because of material provide an essential foundation It is my hope that this Monday Jewish studies and research. It also the Wilfred and Jules Kramer Law and non-material circumstances. for engaged citizenship and for at the centre of the evolution of the Monthly supplement will give you a houses the Jewish Studies library, a Building (until the law department Some scholars within the humanities entry into the world of work for taste of what we are about. university and the pursuit of scholarship, built its own structure on middle approach these questions from an graduates. The growing awareness collection that includes twentieth- from the time of the great philosophers Beattie Building Harry Oppenheimer Leslie Social Science century Yiddish literature as well as campus), then as the Humanities applied perspective by seeking to of the value of skills gained in Graduate Building. It’s currently humanities courses has seen an in Athens and other parts of the world, all texts looted by the Nazis during World help improve the conditions of undergoing a renaming process, but increasing number of students from War II and rescued by the Jewish human beings, while others engage the way to the present. in the meantime, it’s home to the other faculties registering for our Cultural Reconstruction Committee. in more philosophical explorations Institute for Humanities in Africa, courses. Sakhela Buhlungu of these issues. But all of them Further information about the faculty, The Harry Oppenheimer the Department of Philosophy and contribute to extending the frontiers In 2011 the Academy of Science its departments, research units and Institute houses the Centre for the School of Education. and horizons of what we know of South Africa produced a centres can be obtained from the Africa Studies as well as the African about the human condition. research report titled Consensus website, www.humanities.uct.ac.za. Middle & Lower Campus The Baxter Theatre came self-contained, functionally designed Kaplan Centre Humanities Building School of Dance under UCT’s jurisdiction so that music library in Africa, and opened state control didn’t hamper the in August 1943. It now comprises theatre’s ability to stage multiracial 10 000+ books, 33 000+ pieces of productions. The theatre turns 37 music, 5 000+ gramophone records HUMANITIES this year. and 2 500 CDs. The South African College of Initially established in 1934 as the Music was founded in 1910 by UCT Ballet School, the School of Mine Niay-Darroll and a group of Dance has been the training ground BY NUMBERS musicians, and opened in Strand of many generations of South Street. It had six students. In 1925 the African ballet dancers, some of school moved to its current location, whom went on to achieve significant Baxter Theatre Strubenholm – the private residence success, both in local ballet of Henry Struben. The college companies and abroad. Over the countries represented in the boasts several string, wind, jazz and decades the school has broadened 6000students 43 student body 75% undergraduates 25% postgraduates percussion ensembles, as well as its base to incorporate other dance choirs, a symphony orchestra, a jazz forms. Since 1998, both African big band and an opera school. The dance and contemporary dance have SCHOOLS acaDEMIC DepaRTMENTS: RESEARCH CENTRES AND INSTITUTES: WH Bell Music Library, just next to been offered as full streams. 2014 6 10 15 the college, was the first completely marks its 80th anniversary. • School of • School for African • Drama • Psychology • African Gender Institute • Centre for Creative • Centre for Curating the Languages & & Gender Studies, • English Language • Religious Studies • Centre for African Studies Writing Archive (formerly known Literatures Anthropology & as the Lucy Lloyd Archive & Literature • Social • Children’s Institute • Institute for Humanities in Hiddingh Campus • Michaelis School Linguistics (AXL) Africa (HUMA) & Resource Exhibition • Historical Studies Development