Is that how you see me? Shame and learning the body
Penelope Lusk, PhD, CUNY School of Medicine
22 September 2026
Abstract: Learning
is a profoundly affective experience. Collective and individual understandings
of truth, knowledge, and self-concept are shaped by feeling. This talk
investigates shame in learning, describing how "embodied identity
shame” arises when persons are confronted with narratives and
perceptions about identity, health, and bodies in the
classroom. Through addressing and understanding shame in learning
about health, bodies, and identity, we can support more inclusive and
humanistic practice in the healthcare professions.
Penelope Lusk,
PhD, MS is an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Education at the
CUNY School of Medicine in New York City. She researches and teaches in ethics
and the medical humanities, focusing on how shame and other complex emotions
influence and shape practices in healthcare. She holds a PhD from the
University of Pennsylvania and was a prior US-UK Fulbright student scholar, and
is a member of the Shame Space Consortium.
Contact: dien.ho@mcphs.edu