The role of Classical Studies in the 21st century: an assessment of their position in the education system and the society

Abstract

This Master dissertation wants to explore the current status of classical studies in the education system and the society, in order to present an overview of their presence in different fields. After having been the very core of Western culture for centuries, at the base of every scholastic and academic programme, starting from the end of the 20th century they seem to have been suffering a sort of decline, which has seen them being replaced in their role as the main educational tool by other subjects, considered more suitable to tackle our increasingly scientific and technological world. The different historical, cultural, political and economical context of our modern-day society has caused the study of ancient Greek and Latin language and literature to be regarded as an out-of-date, boring and unnecessarily demanding subject, a privilege of the small group of people who have the time and resources to dedicate themselves to it. Most importantly, the classics appear now to be quite ineffectual in the context of the professional world, since, as statistics show, graduates with a classical (and, more in general, humanities) degree encounter many difficulties in finding an adequate, well-paid job. Despite all of these setbacks, the debate around the position of the classics in the academia as well as the society continues to this day, while teachers and educators are proposing new didactic approaches and strategies to make the learning of classical subjects more appealing and engaging for students. And also outside the field of education, the classics are very much alive and well: the countless references to them in books, films, TV shows, comics and games prove that they can still be used, centuries after, to talk about important issues in an innovative and original way, addressing a modern and wider audience.