(Written by me, title generated by AI)
What particularly stuck out to me from the readings this week was Ramsey’s controversial statement about who is qualified to be a digital humanist. He claims, “I think digital humanities is about building things…But if you are not making anything…you are not a digital humanist.” He faced a lot of backlash for this comment, but I believe there was a lot of truth in what he said. When I was in high school, I was in an advanced art class, and the teacher sparked a debate about what an “artist” is. Some classmates argued that anyone can be an artist, while others argued that some technical skill and practice are required. I believe that there should be passion and intent behind what is being created and classified as “art.” Ramsey had a similar argument about who a digital humanist can be, which connects directly to the chapter’s question of “Who’s In and Who’s Out.” He repeatedly emphasized that digital humanists who build and create will bring great things to the field. People with generosity in their hearts may say that anyone can be a digital humanist, but this way of thinking may not encourage people to take initiative and make big strides in the digital humanities world. Ramsey argues that digital humanities is different, and that some people are significant in this area while others are not. I agree! I think that artists and digital humanists must excel in certain areas to be validated; not just anyone can be great in either of these fields. However, they can become great with hard work. The more I understand what digital humanities is, the more I think it takes a lot of work and dedication to be great in this area of work, but I think that is a good thing and can be rewarding. If you are a creative builder in the digital humanities (and this applies to art as well), you will benefit yourself and also benefit others in the field who come into contact with your work. I agree that the people who work in digital humanities are builders, and some people do “have it” and will make great strides in the modern world. Anyone can join the digital humanities, but Ramsey’s argument suggests that being part of the field and making a meaningful impact are not necessarily the same thing.
Stephen Ramsay. “Who’s In and Who’s Out.” Defining Digital Humanities. 2013
2 Comments
One of the great things about teaching this class is the fact that I get to see other people’s perspectives on the things that have been central to the work that I do and have, therefore, become things that I take for granted. I think it’s critical, Autumn, that you notice that Ramsay isn’t focused on coding but instead on building. And that he’s equally concerned with saying that some people are in and others are out. As you correctly note, he’s not trying to be exclusionary so much as saying that there are indeed some things that one needs to do in order to be really involved.
Good reading of this piece
I think you bring up some interesting points here! Especially bringing artists into the equation, I think both digital humanists and artists have a sense of “exclusivity” that annoys me. If someone is creating something, that is art! It may not be great, at first, but I agree that—with practice—anyone can get better. Thanks for sharing!