Literature and Ethics in High School English Classes - by Ross Collin (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book offers a defence of ethical reading in secondary school English classes at a time when reformers and policy makers are trying to reorganize English language arts around technical skills or politics. Ross Collin shows how students and teachers use literature as a venue for exploring their own and others' ethical ideas and practices and argues that moral inquiry in English class is a distinctly social endeavour. The book draws ideas from English education and moral philosophy. From English education, Collin explores social reading, or what Louise Rosenblatt named 'transaction', looking at texts commonly taught in secondary school English, including Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming. From philosophy, he draws on arguments about moral vision and literature developed by Iris Murdoch, Martha Nussbaum, and Nora Hämäläinen, and develops ideas, tacit in English education, about reading with moral vision. He concludes by proposing a new theory of moral vision in transactional reading.

Review Quotes

"Literature and Ethics in High School English Classes is a highly accessible book that rethinks the role of literature in English education. Ross Collins's defense of ethics-focused reading is continually illuminating. His clear and compelling voice, penetrating moral vision, and pedagogical mindfulness bring both classroom practices and literary texts vividly to life. By seamlessly blending moral philosophy with practical examples, Collins convincingly demonstrates that ethics is integral to literature and life itself. Literature and Ethics in High School English Classes has important lessons for educators struggling to raise ethical questions in the context of their teaching without lapsing into moralism. It is a deeply humane and edifying read" --Megan J. Laverty, Professor of Philosophy and Education, Columbia University, USA

"In this engaging book, Collin draws on his teaching experience to provide detailed classroom activities to document the value of having students collaboratively share their responses about characters' ethical actions. In contrast to students perceiving literary texts as having predetermined moral lessons, Collin documents how engaging in these classroom activities leads students to formulate moral visions that shape their lives. He also posits the need for supporting pre-service teachers in acquiring methods for facilitating these responses, reducing a focus on standardized testing, reading morally complex texts, reducing class sizes, increasing teacher salaries, moving away from scripted curriculum, and resisting censorship of texts." --Richard Beach, Professor Emeritus of English Education, University of Minnesota, USA

About the Author

Ross Collin is Professor of English Education at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.