UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2007 Reading bodies: A case study analysis of adolescent girls' experiences in an after school book group Marie A LeJeune University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation LeJeune, Marie A, "Reading bodies: A case study analysis of adolescent girls' experiences in an after school book group" (2007). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 2772. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/od2d-aox8 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. READING BODIES: A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ EXPERIENCES IN AN AFTER SCHOOL BOOK GROUP by Marie A. LeJeune Bachelor of Arts Gonzaga University 1994 Masters in Teaching Whitworth College 1995 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Curriculum and Instruction Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3302359 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 3302359 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway PC Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dissertation Approval J The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas A u gu st 23 07 _, 20 . The Dissertation prepared by Marie A. LeJeune Entitled Reading Bodies: A Case Study Analysis of Adolescent Girls* Experiences in an After School Book Group is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of ______ Doctor of Philosophy_________________________________ Examination Committee Chair ■ Dean of the Graduate College - Examination Committee Member — - Examination Committee Member Graduate CoUe^^aculty Reprismtative 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Reading Bodies: A Case Study Analysis of Adolescent Girls’ Experiences in an After School Book Group by Marie A. LeJeune Dr. Cynthia Giorgis, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Curriculum and Instruction University of Nevada, Las Vegas In this study, adolescent female readers participated in an after-school literature based discussion group or “Book Group” as we came to call it, reading contemporary young adult novels that deal with issues of the body. The purpose of this study was to examine the adolescent girls’ experiences within the literature discussions, as most studies relating to literature circle discussions, book clubs, or book groups do not focus on the students’ experiences. A related purpose of the study was to investigate how literature based discussion groups reflect and reveal readers’ own identities as well as dominant social discourse about issues of femininity. This study was grounded in several areas of research into best practices in adolescent literacy as well as evolving theories on adolescent bodies as sites inscribed by power, culture, and gender. Findings for the study revealed multiple aspects of girls’ reading and gendered identities as well as issues of conflict within the readers regarding issues related to the body and their appearance. in Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION............................................................................... I Overview of the Study................................................................................................8 Potential Significance.................................................................................................9 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................11 Research Questions................................................................................................... 14 Conclusion................................................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE......................................17 Feminist Research and Pedagogy...........................................................................18 Literary Theory......................................................................................................... 20 Adolescent Literacy..................................................................................................26 Young Adult Literature................................................... 29 Literature Cireles......................................................................................................31 Adolescent Female Identity.....................................................................................33 Girls’ Literacy Studies............................................................................................. 36 Body Image and Issues of the Body.................. 39 The Absenee of the Body in Schooling.................................................................42 Conclusion................. 46 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY............................................................................47 Research Questions...................................................................................................47 Implementation............................................... 48 Site of Researeh: The School .................................................................................. 50 Site of Research: The Book Group.........................................................................51 Participants and Selection........................................................................................53 Risks and Benefits.....................................................................................................57 Data Colleetion......................................................................................................... 60 Data Analysis......................................... 70 Limitations/Trustworthiness....................................................................................83 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 4 INDIVIDUAL PROFILES OF THE BOOK GROUP .................86 Jam ie......................................................................... 87 M aria...........................................................................................................................89 Tammy....................................................................................................................... 91 Sydney........................................................................................................................ 93 Carolina...................................................................................................................... 96 Bethany...................................................................................................................... 97 Felicity....................................................................................................................... 99 Desiree........................................................................................................... 101 M elissa......................................................................................................................103 Discussion................................................................................................................ 104 CHAPTER 5 DATA ANALYSIS .........................................................................106 Question One...........................................................................................................109 Question Two.................