This book presents an extensive analysis of the multifaceted benefits that higher education in the humanities offers individuals and society, as explored in the context of Hong Kong. Using both quantitative graduate employment survey data and qualitative data from interviews with past humanities graduates and with leading humanities scholars, the study provides an objective picture of the "value" of humanities degrees in relation to the economic needs and growth of Hong Kong, together with an in-depth exploration of their value and use in the eyes of humanities graduates and practitioners. Therefore, although it is hardly the only book on the value and status quo of the humanities worldwide, it nonetheless stands out in this crowded field as one of the very few extended studies that draws on empirical data. The book will appeal to both an academic and a wider audience, including members of the general public, non-academic educators, and government administrators interested in the status quo of humanities education, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere. The report also includes a wealth of text taken directly from interviews with humanities graduates, who share their compelling life stories and views on the value of their humanities education.

Autorentext
Evelyn Tsz Yan Chan is an Associate Professor at the Department of English, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her background is in English Literature, but she also holds a Master's degree in Educational and Social Research, and has published on academic subject identity based on interviews with students. She is chiefly interested in the application of qualitative methods to understand people's construction of learner and work values.   
Flora Ka Yu Mak is a Ph.D. candidate in English (Literary Studies) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include Romantic poetry and the notion of impersonality. Her previous education-related research has addressed trade and investment in higher education services in Hong Kong. 
Thomas Siu-Ho Yau is a postgraduate student at the Department of English, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His main research interests are in second language acquisition and cognitive linguistics. He has also pursued research on language and society, language policy, curriculum and education policy, and vocational education in Hong Kong, employing technology enhanced learning and learning analytics to do so. Yutong Hu received her M.Phil. in Sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2017 and subsequently worked for the Department of English at the same university as a Research Assistant. She will begin her Ph.D. studies in Sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong this fall. Her research interests include the sociology of education, social stratification and mobility, and quantitative methods.  Michael O'Sullivan is an Associate Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He works in the fields of comparative literature, literature and philosophy, and education studies. Recent relevant publications include The Humanities and the Irish University (MUP 2014), The Humanities in Contemporary Chinese Contexts (with Evelyn Chan) (Springer 2016), Academic Barbarism, Universities, and Inequality (Palgrave 2016) and Educational inequalities in higher education in Hong Kong in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (2015) (with Michael Yat-him Tsang).
Eddie Tay is an Associate Professor at the Department of English, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His most recent publication, Anything You Can Get Away With: Creative Practices, is a critical-creative work featuring street photography in Hong Kong and Singapore. He is also the author of four poetry collections and a book on the colonial and postcolonial literatures of Singapore and Malaysia. 

Inhalt
SamplingInterview formatData analysis
Results: graduate interviews1. Individual benefits1. Skills and abilities      1. Good language and communication skills      2. Critical and independent thinking      3. Multiperspectival thinking      4. Adaptability and flexibility      5. Advanced research and textual analysis skills      6. Enhanced sensibility      7. Capacity for life-long learning2. The formation of personality, values, and vision      1. Enhanced self-knowledge      2. Creativity      3. Meaning in life      4. Moral integrity      5. Open-mindedness      6. Intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm      7. Emotional and spiritual fortification      8. Empathy and care for fellow humans      9. A sense of mission to spread humanities knowledge
2. Characteristics of career development narratives1. A great variety of career paths among graduates2. Initial disorientation followed by gradual career establishment3. Interest and meaning as career priorities4. Distinct competitiveness brought about by individual benefits5. Further studies for specific career needs6. Challenges to career development      1. Education as the dominant industry      2. The volatility of a creative career      3. Barriers to entry into specialized humanities jobs      4. Lack of specific training for the general job market      5.  Difficulty convincing others of the use of humanities education      6.  Clash between the humanities and commercial values
3. Characteristics of humanities pedagogy1. Teachers as role models and mentors2. Individualized learning methods: tutorial discussions and dissertations3. Insightful major texts
4. Characteristics of humanities education narratives1. Upon entering university: passion for the subject2. During university study: formative education563. Upon graduation and after: the lasting influence of wisdom derived from education4. The intangibility of the values of humanities education
5. The essential contributions of humanities education to Hong Kong society1. The maintenance of language standards2. Contributions to quality education3. Emotional and spiritual nourishment4. Synergy with business values that underpin economy and society5. Preserving and transmitting Hong Kong culture6. The arts as social and community service7. Promoting cultural sensitivity, awareness, and diversity8. Tempering excessive materialism and instrumentalism9. Promoting civic values and engagement10. The challenging socio-economic climate in Hong Kong limiting potential contributions
Further discussionRecommendations on pedagogical interventions based on the graduate interviewsHong Kong's economic conditions
Part II: graduate employment survey dataMethodologyResults: graduate survey dataFurther discussion
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