Using Children's Literature to Make Sense of Racial Inequality

• In Event: Rethinking Effective Practices in Postsecondary Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study investigated undergraduates' evolving understandings of racial inequality as a result of reading and discussing the children’s novel Ghost Boys (Rhodes, 2018) in book clubs. Using Cultural Historical Activity, the study examines the personal and cultural resources students brought to the experience, the stances they developed while engaging in the book, and the contextual resource that mediated students’ understanding of racial inequality. This study sought to better understand the nature of students' discussions and its effect upon undergraduates, with the goal of providing literary educators with a rich description of what engaging with challenging texts looks like. The study demonstrates the potential of children literature as a lens for contending with challenging social issues in a college setting.

Author

• Lauren Fletcher, University of Louisville