Demonstrations of Agency in Contemporary International Children’s Literature: A Critical Content Analysis Within a Comparative Research Frame

• In Event: Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Transnational Children’s Identities in Literature and Research

Abstract

This study on global literature as a curricular resource is framed by current issues in education: (1) nurturing a sense of agency in young learners and (2) in light of the call for a more informed globalization of classrooms, providing young literacy learners positive, authentic insights to global communities and their role therein. The critical content analysis described here was conducted to (1) to examine literature in which characters demonstrate agency across personal, social, and cultural dimensions in the face of challenging situations; (2) compare findings of the critical content analyses of books published in the US to those published in selected countries in seeking authentic representations of diverse cultures.

Author

• Janelle B. Mathis, University of North Texas