A tool for democracy and successful integration? Intersectional perspectives on easy reading novels in Swedish classrooms
Submitted by:
Christina Olin-Scheller
Abstract:
In Sweden today, an often discussed question is causes to the declining results on national and international test in relation to reading abilities among students. One solution advocated, is to offer children and teenagers that are considered demotivated and poor readers so called easy reading novels that recently have become a vital classroom resource in literary instruction and the teaching of literacy. Easy reading novels in our selection are books particularly aimed at young readers who face difficulties in reading – cognitively as well as lack of motivation and interest in reading. These books have had a rapid spread in Swedish classrooms the last five years. Questions regarding linguistic aspects of the texts and cognitive issues regarding the reader are not in focus in this presentation. The dissemination and publication of easy reading novels is increasing rapidly, which, not the least, is evident in relation to the target group of young readers who newly have arrived to Sweden as refugees. The publishers, authors and other actors promote the books by referring to the assumption that the reading of fiction and language development is closely linked. Another argument is that the books serve as an educational tool for integration since they deal with themes relating to experiences of being a refugee. By focusing the books aimed at this target group of readers, our presentation takes on an intersectional perspective and highlights about 20 books published in 2015 and 2016 from three publishers. In order to study views of the “Other”, whiteness, ethnicity and gender, we have conducted interviews with school librarians and teachers and analyzed the books and the instructional material that goes with the novels intended to be used by the teacher as well as the students. Taking literary instruction as a point of departure, we discuss what challenges and possibilities the use of easy reading novels have for issues of democracy and integration in the L1 classroom.
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