Constructing identity, constructing community: Book clubs with urban adolescent females

The lives of inner-city teenagers are complex and multi-faceted. Urban schools---burdened by overcrowding and budget deficits---struggle to increase the literacy skills of this population and at the same time address their social and emotional needs. This dissertation confronts both issues simultaneously by documenting and analyzing the experiences of 12 urban females of color who participated in book clubs for one year.; The first group consisted of seven 11th grade girls---one African-American, five Latinas, and one Latina-African-American; the second consisted of four 9th grade girls---two African American and two Latina---and one African-American 10th grader. The data included transcripts of 46 45-minute book club sessions, pre- and post-interviews, and surveys. The girls read adolescent literature and met weekly to discuss the texts and how they connected them to their own experiences. The transcripts were categorized and coded thematically to understand the dynamics of how responses to literature contribute to their literacy and personal and social growth with the goal of examining how book clubs serve as communities where the girls co-construct meaning of the texts and work to understand their identities and familial and peer relationships.; Specifically, the researcher reveals literacy strategies that were promoted, and then, using transactional reading theory (Rosenblatt, 1978), uncovers how the girls used adolescent literature as a way to understand the self. In the light of personal growth models (Holbrook, 1965; Mayher, 1990; Beach, 1993; Wilhelm, 1997), the researcher also explores how the texts help the girls articulate and understand their families. Finally, using theories on the social act of reading (Britton, 1970; Vygotsky, 1978; Pradl, 1996), this study documents how dialogue enhances the girls' interpretation of the texts and, at the same time, increases their understanding of peer relationships. Most importantly, this research is about giving these girls a voice. As a historically disparaged and silenced population, urban adolescents have frequently been associated with high-risk behaviors, deviancy, and social problems (Way, 1998). This study, in contrast, highlights the girls' normative issues and captures their experiences, their textual interpretations, and their understanding of themselves, each other, and the world.