Humane Composition Pedagogy

by Tamara Luque Black, Amber Foster

Overview

Humane Composition Pedagogy (HCP) provides a pedagogical framework for reconciling the current disconnect between neoliberal higher education policies (sometimes called the “business model” of higher education) and the demand for kinder and more human-centered instruction. Humane education is a pedagogical model, with origins in secondary education, that considers emotional wellbeing, civic engagement, and intrinsic motivation as central to learning. The authors suggest that humane pedagogies can and should be adapted to higher education contexts, as a means of synthesizing literatures on the pedagogies of inclusion and care from noteworthy scholars including Jamil Zaki, Lisa Blankenship, Asao B. Inoue, Ruchika Tulshyan, and more. Without feeding a crisis narrative or calling for a complete systemic overhaul, HCP offers both an alternative to, and an act of resistance against, dehumanizing forces in today’s colleges and universities. In exploring its three tenets–empathy, wellbeing, and belonging–the authors call for improved collaboration among key stakeholders (faculty, students, and administrators) to center the human experience in how we approach college instruction, thereby allowing universities to better fulfill their educational missions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031861659
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	03/31/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	362 KB

About the Author

Tamara Luque Black is an Associate Professor (Teaching) of Writing at the University of Southern California, USA.

Amber Foster is an Associate Professor (Teaching) of Writing at the University of Southern California, USA.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Introducing Humane Composition Pedagogy.- 2. Ecologies of Empathy: A Relational Model for the Humane Composition Classroom.- 3. Fostering Cultures of Wellbeing within the Humane Composition Classroom.- 4. Nurturing Belonging: Access and Inclusion Practices for the Humane Composition Classroom.- 5. Conclusion: Towards a Humane Higher Education.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Humane Composition Pedagogy is an important contribution to empathy studies in the field of rhetoric and composition and a much-needed book in the increasingly inhumane, isolating, and bottom-line culture of higher ed. The authors offer a model of empathy, mental health, and belonging as core components of humane teaching, and provide a rich theoretical foundation and practical classroom tips and assignments that will resonate with anyone looking for more connection and even joy in their teaching.” (Lisa Blankenship, Associate Professor, The City University of New York)

“Humane Composition Pedagogy is written with a keen awareness of the systems that support or inhibit more empathetic ways of teaching writing. It locates people—students, faculty, and communities—within these systems and reminds us that teaching, at its best, is a human-centered activity.” (Eric Leake, Associate Professor, Texas State University)

“Here’s a book that truly gets it: students come to colleges and classrooms to connect with people—instructors and peers, not tables, lights, and chairs—on purpose! Humane Composition Pedagogy invites us to reimagine writing classrooms as living, learning spaces opulent with opportunities for deep connection, reflection, and belonging. When we center students as humans, embrace our own humanity, and use principles shared in this book to ‘build the house together,' magic can happen. Read. Reflect. Presto!” (Terrell Strayhorn, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Do Good Work Educational Consulting)