How Diverse Is the History of the Humanities and Does It Matter?

Abstract

While the history of the humanities is rapidly expanding as a new field of study, questions about diversity and inclusiveness of the field have rarely been addressed. An examination of the papers presented at the Making of the Humanities conferences and the articles published in the History of Humanities journal shows that the field is far from diverse. In this essay, I argue that pursuing greater diversity is fruitful for the field because it helps to avoid gaps and biases, uncovers interactions and influences across regions, debunks myths in the history of the humanities, and allows for finding global trends that are left unnoticed otherwise. I will offer three suggestions—for researchers, teachers, and the Society for the History of the Humanities—for how we can turn the history of the humanities into a more diverse and inclusive field. While I focus mostly on cultural and geographical diversity, I also address gender diversity at the end of the essay.