Imagining Spaces for Social Justice Literacies: Developments in a Community-Based Discourse Community

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Reimagining Community-Based Educational Research

Abstract

In this presentation, two university teacher educators share their work creating and implementing a project in which members of a rural community were invited to participate in collaborative reading and dialogue around social justice issues raised in young adult literature (YAL) such as mental health and food insecurity. Representatives from outreach organizations in the community were also asked to share their connections to the books’ foci. Researchers give brief overviews of text selections and describe their approaches to analyzing pre- and post- meeting surveys, transcripts from meetings, and fieldnotes collected. Through qualitative analysis, researchers offer findings which include focusing on language, identifying with narratives, recognizing privilege, and developing empathy. Implications for practice in YAL and community literacy are provided.

Authors

• Ashley Summer Boyd, Washington State University

• Rachael Wolney, Illinois State University