Reading and Writing for Fun

Students’ skills in and experience with reading and writing for fun have long been at the center of the discussion about how students come to be interested in and appreciate the disciplines that make up the humanities. Since text remains a foundational part of work in the college humanities, a portion of each interview focused on questions about students’ reading and writing habits outside work or school. Most of the students—regardless of their age or stage in education—did not read or write for fun, and many of them noted that their friends did not do so either.

Factors Shaping Student Interest in a Humanities Major