The “practical mode of teaching” and the state of English studies in the United States

Abstract

AbstractIn the United States, student eagerness to pursue concentrated study in English literature as well as in other humanities fields has plummeted after the financial crisis of 2008. Envisioned strong career demand and high wages upon graduation are major drivers of program choices, and such demand is articulated through wealthy industries that can also offer funding to universities. That said, it becomes self‐fulfilling to contribute to the cliché of the humanities perpetually being in crisis, which occurs when humanities specialists begin valuing their own fields by the measures celebrated by other programs. Is it possible to take the current situation and leverage our strengths toward constructive innovations in English studies that remain true to our own values? To address this question, we first summarize three key ways in which the situation in the United States is distinct from, yet connected to, that of most other countries: extensive decentralization of education policy and funding; high student debt; and opposition to education in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the humanities in general. After reflecting on the opportunities for greater global connection posed by the pandemic‐driven shift to online learning, we discuss some of our own efforts to build a sense of local and international responsibility in our students. The skills, knowledge, and openness to other cultures and identities that we nurture through the literature we teach and the socially invested pedagogy we practice allow us to incorporate ethics and empathy into the design of international economics and to help ensure that a sense of local and global responsibility is part of its operation.