The Civic Value of the Humanities A Case for Compassion

This book makes a consciously positive case for the civic value of the humanities in higher education. The author seeks to show the ways in which humanities subjects are not just about teaching and learning to master technical content, but are also concerned with the transmission of ethical humanistic values. By embedding values from humanities subjects more deeply within universities, she argues that we can bring heart and soul, and indeed humanity, to higher education settings which have a far reaching, positive impact within and beyond these settings. The book will appeal to academics and students in higher education studies and humanities subjects, as well as institutional administrators and leaders.

Chapter 1: Introduction: The Urgent Need for the Humanities at a Critical Turning Point.- Chapter 2: Problems Associated with the Marketisation of Education: Implications for the Humanities.- Chapter 2: Valuing the Humanity of the People Within Higher Education Institutions. Chapter 3: The Dangers of Failing to Recognise the Value of the Humanities: Replacing the Humanness of Higher Education with Neoliberal Values.- Chapter 4: The Civic Value of the Humanities: New Currencies as well as Indispensable Skills for the Labour Market.- Chapter 5: The Civic Value of the Humanities: Promoting Imagination, Empathy and Belonging to Cultivate Compassionate Leaders and Citizens.- Chapter 6: Reimaging what is Valuable in Higher Education: The Importance of Quality, Compassion and Humanity.-  Chapter 7: Conclusion.

Katherine E. Southwood is Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and Fellow of St John's College, University of Oxford, UK.