Title

Problematizing Literature Circles as Forums for Discussion of Multicultural and Political Texts

Author Info

Amanda Haertling Thein, University of Iowa
Megan Guise, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoFollow
DeAnn Long Sloan, University of Pittsburgh

Recommended Citation

Preprinted version. Published in Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Volume 55, Issue 1, September 1, 2011, pages 15-24.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.55.1.2.

Abstract

In a six-week literature circle unit in a tenth-grade classroom, one group of students discussed Dorothy Allison's novel Bastard out of Carolina. By criteria frequently used to judge the quality of discussion, this literature circle was successful. However, several key moments are highlighted that point to the limits of literature circles as they are typically implemented for engaging students in the full critical depth of multicultural and political texts. Finally, suggestions are offered for rethinking literature circle pedagogy with the goal of offering students a more nuanced and robust experience with such texts.

Disciplines

English Language and Literature

Copyright

2011 International Reading Association and Wiley-Blackwell.

Publisher statement

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of an article published in Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.