"Things That I Do in the Dark": Meaning and Identity in the Self-Sponsored Literacy Practices of Young LGBTQIA+ People of Color

• In Event: Research In Progress Roundtable Session 5
  In Invited Roundtable: Understanding Pedagocial Practices and the Experiences of Queer Students and Teachers in K-16 Contexts (Table 2)

Abstract

This study explores the meaning seven 18-21 year old participants who identify as LGBTQIA+ and of-color make from self-sponsored literacy practices (SSLP), including creative writing and digital/social media creations that use written language. Driving research questions are: (1) How do participants put identity (who they are) into conversation with their self-sponsored literacy practices?; (2) What meaning do participants make of their self-sponsored literacy practices?; and (3) How does context (including community, power, and authority) play a role in their practices or the meaning participants ascribe to their practices? Methods are drawn from dialogical, narrative, and arts-based inquiry approaches and results are presented as multi-case study.

Author

• Christina Olivares, Teachers College, Columbia University