What are the subfields of the humanities?

Question

What are the subfields of the humanities?

Answer 1

Probably best to just read about the humanities in general to get a feel for the subfields:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanities

Kabum

Answer 2

There are two different ways of defining them.  Actually, probably more than two, but two common ways--

Many consider the humanities to be the fields of pure human expression (as opposed to practical disciplines like sciences, technologies, and professions).  As such, some of the sub-fields of humanities would be all of the arts: painting, architecture, music, dance, poetry, prose, sculpture, printmaking, photography, song, drama, theatre, film, TV, comics, videogames, performance art, interior design, fashion design, and cuisine.  (and others--I hate the elitism that says that some arts are 'fine' and others aren't).

But the National Endowment for the Humanities does not deal with those fields--they're left to the National Endowment for the Arts.  The NEH funds programs in history, philosophy, cultural studies, languages, and other disciplines that are neither particularly practice yet not artistic either.  Well, there's some bleed-through; the languages programs wind up concentrating a lot on literature--which after all is an art form.

I prefer a broad definition that embraces all of the ways humans engage in self-expression.