Balancing Sympathy and Empathy in an Emotive Discipline

Nichols, Helen; Humphrey, Victoria

Abstract

This chapter considers the challenge of balancing sympathy and empathy in the emotive discipline of criminology grounded in an introductory discussion of pedagogies of empathy. With a focus on the study of prisons, the chapter considers some of the oppositions between media and academic illustrations of prisons and people who live and work within them. Incorporating a case study the discussions present as a reflection from the student perspective of studying a final year module about contemporary imprisonment, with considerations on how accounts from the prisoner voice, evidence of prisoner vulnerability and visual sources, and the extent to which they can be particularly emotive triggers for students. The chapter focuses upon how students can engage in a reflective processes to successfully redress the sympathy/empathy balance in the pursuit of in-depth, critical, and simultaneously balanced understanding. The chapter highlights the importance of students developing empathy to achieve a holistic scholarly experience.

Citation

Nichols, H., & Humphrey, V. (2022). Balancing Sympathy and Empathy in an Emotive Discipline. In S. Young, & K. Strudwick (Eds.), Teaching Criminology and Criminal Justice : Challenges for Higher Education (179-198). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14899-6_9

• Online Publication Date: Nov 30, 2022
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Feb 7, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 1, 2024
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Pages: 179-198
• Book Title: Teaching Criminology and Criminal Justice : Challenges for Higher Education
• ISBN: 9783031148989 ; 9783031149016
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14899-6_9
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4192643