A Study of Contemporary Women's Book Clubs
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Badges of Wisdom, Spaces for Being: A Study of Contemporary Women's Book Clubs DeNel Rehberg Sedo B.A., University of North Dakota, 1987 M.M.C., Arizona State University, 1992 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the School of Communication DeNel Rehberg Sedo SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY February 2004 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME DeNel Rehberg Sedo DEGREE PhD TITLE OF DISSERTATION: BADGES OF WISDOM, SPACES FOR BEING: A STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN'S BOOK CLUBS EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: I Prof. Yuezhi Zhao Prof. Catherine Murray Senior Supervisor, School of Communication, SFU Prof. Janet Giltrow Supervisor, Department of English, UBC Prof. Alison Beale Supervisor, School of Communication, SFU Prof. ~ath~Mezei, Internal Examiner Department of Humanities, SFU Prof. Catherine Ross External Examiner Prof. & Dean, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario, Middlesex 2 February 2004 DATE: Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of ths work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request fiom the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has Weragreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by ths author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Bennett Library Simon Fraser University Bumaby, BC, Canada Abstract This study explores the social contours and the talk within contemporary women's book clubs. The approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on theories of interpretive community, feminist epistemology, and cultural studies to illustrate the social relations of the groups as more than a sum of its readers. Ethnographic and survey methods are blended in an original interpretation of the reading motivations, practices, pleasures of five Canadian reading groups and more than 252 readers found on line. An account of the descriptive, normative and ideological concepts of book club community, the work supplies an important gap in studies of women's reading experiences in Canada. This dissertation argues: (1) that book clubs are social structures in which women are able to articulate and valorise their experiences thereby demonstrating social agency, and (2) that there is an interpretive community dimension to a reading group that unfolds over time. The readers recognise the importance of women "trusted others" in introducing them to reading, the importance of pushing personal tastes boundaries within safe spaces, and the benefit of the liberal humanist vision of learning outside of the perceived constraints of gender language, politics or power. The groups form and exist around shared genre tastes and interpretive preferences. The acquisition and negotiation of cultural competence works differently in the virtual clubs than in the face-to-face groups. Resistance is more evident in the face-to- face groups than it is in a virtual club, where group membership is more fluid. This study finds rather than a kind of essentialist "sisterhood" that provides only minimal resistance to patriarchal structures, there is instead a creation of space for agency, and utopian mutual affirmation of badges of wisdom that is important to clubs in providing enrichment of daily lives. Oral and virtual culture can and does enhance literate culture, even if it does not conform to traditional conceptions of political mobilisation. The surprise of this study is that while it is useful to examine the book club as a genre of collective women's action, it is also worthwhile to examine the "book club" type title, as a new form of social expression. Dedication For Brent, my primary "second person" and in memory of Maureen Ban and Alison Robson To read little and meditate a great deal upon our reading, or to talk it over extensively between ourselves, that is the way to thoroughly digest it. "A Nouvelle Heloise" by Jean Jacques Rousseau Acknowledgements Many special people have been involved in the process of conceptualising, researching, writing and revising this project. Those who have been with me through the years are probably as happy as I am that it is finished, if not more so. To see this work in print is most likely all they would want. Yet I feel it necessary to publicly thank the individuals without whose support, love and friendship, I would not be writing this last section of the manuscript. I owe the most debt to the women of Lileth's Library, my own book club, and to the readers who shared with me their knowledge, their books, their talk, their homes and their treats. It was an extraordinary act by extraordinary women (and men). Simon Fraser University's Department of Co-operative Education, namely Nancy Johnston, granted me a research leave so that I could conduct my fieldwork. My colleague Marcia Shirnizu had to work extra hard during this time, and often at other times throughout the project, and did so with good humour. Evelyn Hassen, Lucie Menkveld, David Murphy and Denyse Zenner at SFU's School of Communication must be acknowledged for their ability to simply get things done. This is especially so for Neena Shahani. Not only does she make sure we graduate students sign all the right forms, she also gives freely of herself. I am most grateful that she introduced me to yoga and that she remains my good friend. Mount Saint Vincent University granted me time to analyse my data. My colleagues there, especially Brent King, Trudie Richards, Marie Riley, and Judith Scrimger, have been extremely supportive with kind words, intellectual stimulation and hugs, when necessary. A special thanks to my new Halifax friends and colleagues Drs. Adriana Benzaquen, Karen Macfarlane, Karen Side and Randi Warne. Their wisdom inspires me. For her never-ending kindness, I thank Cathleen 07Grady.She and Gary Patterson were instrumental in keeping me sane and well-fed with Frivolous Fridays during the writing of Draft One. Thank you to Dr. Kevin Davison for the thoughtful readings of earlier drafts, and for the intellectual humour and PoMo musings on dreary winter days and during depressing writing blocks. Kerry Chambers gives expert research advice and his time, and I am thankful. I am been blessed with good friends. For Donna Carswell, Stacy Damp, Gloria Freeborn, and Susan Tinker I am thankful. They did not think I was crazy to journey down this path and allowed me to complain along the way. My love and thanks to the tribe: Deena and Kevin; Robert and Birget, Sarina (brilliant writer in the making, who grew up while I conducted this project); Johnny Westcoast; Bert; Michelle; Paul and Alison (you are so missed). Thanks also to Dan and Shirra for never asking if I was done yet. Thank you, too, to my Dragon Boat team-The Totally Hip-who nurtured my competitive side, my body and my funny bone. I owe much to my theory-head reading group friends, Drs. James Compton and Diana Ambrozas, and to Natalie Coulter, another graduate student friend who shares unselfishly. Much love and appreciation to Doug Bolken, Susan Brook, Joy Gugeler, Eduarda Hodgins, Launa Maundrell, Benji Lucas Showers and Jennifer Wah. Because they know me for who I really am and still never doubted the value of this work and my capabilities to do it, I will forever be grateful. Late in the process of writing the dissertation, I met and became a research colleague of Dr. Danielle Fuller. Her ideas were instrumental in reshaping my own. She has given me the gift of motivation and I am looking forward to our future research and friendship. Thank you, too, to Dr. Ellen Balka for intellectual mentorship and support from the beginning. And to Drs. Janet Giltrow, Alison Beale, Kathy Mezei, and Catherine Ross for their careful reading and thoughtful comments on the dissertation. I owe special gratitude to Dr. Catherine Murray, my senior supervisor. She is known in our house as Saint Catherine for reasons too numerous to mention here. Ever loving and supportive of my reading habit, my left-leaning idiosyncrasies and my inability to phone often, my mom and dad-Don and LaRue- and my brother- Michael-are exactly what a graduate student needs. They are loving, interested and inquisitive. I am happy they are mine. And last, but not at all least, as the saying goes: Thank you Brent. Your wisdom is my being. Table of Contents Approval Abstract Dedication Acknowledgements vii Table of Contents ... List of Tables Xlll Chapter One Introduction The Research Questions Reading as a Contemporary Cultural Practice: in Renaissance? Understanding the Social Act of Reading Chapter Two "Reading" Reading: The Interpetive Community Introduction Literary Societies: Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century Women's Interpretive Communities Book Clubs: Contemporary Women-Only Communities Theories of Community Introduction to Theories of Cyber Communities Interpretive