Deckha, A. (2023). Why are young Canadian men avoiding the humanities?. The Young Researcher, 7(1), 178-193. http://www.theyoungresearcher.com/papers/deckha.pdf  

Abstract
Historically, the humanities have been highly respected. Since the mid-20th century, however, these fields of study have experienced an immense decline in undergraduate enrollment. Scholars have identified this trend as a global humanities ‘crisis’ and highlighted the lack of male participation in the fields may be a root cause. In addition, few to no scholarly studies have analyzed this issue in Canada. Through eleven semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study aimed to highlight the primary reasons why Canadian young men are avoiding humanities undergraduate programs. The findings demonstrate that young men do not study the humanities because they are not exposed enough to the fields, are driven by short-term success, and are heavily influenced by stereotypes and their peers. Future studies should consult educators and school boards to allow a stronger application of this research into the educational system and young men’s lives.

Keywords: Humanities, Young Men, Canada, Stereotypes, Crisis, Lack of Exposure

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