Young readers in the working class: paradoxical reader constitutions

Author(s)

Ana Paula Carneiro Renesto

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Educação (FE/SBD)
• Defense date: 2009-08-05

Examining board members

Teresa Cristina Rebolho Rego de Moraes; Marilia Pontes Esposito; Francisca Izabel Pereira Maciel

• Advisor: Teresa Cristina Rebolho Rego de Moraes

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed at investigating the constitution of young readers in the working classes of São Paulo city, from the cultural-historical perspective of the human psychological development. Data collection consisted of interviews with 13 subjects aged 17 to 31, who are users of a community library. At first it aimed at studying the constitution of literary readers. In the field, the research spectrum was enlarged and included other readers. Results showed that the reader constitution process was not homogeneous, linear or mechanical. On the contrary, such constitution was possible thanks to singular configurations of interdependent factors that contributed to the genesis of an interest in reading. Among such factors were: the development of a positive relationship with knowledge and of a self-image excellent student; reasonably frequent access to printed material and its high quality; the entertaining power such material had, especially during ones childhood, ones identification with the theme of some works and, on the other hand, the exotic characteristics of other works; and most importantly, the opportunities of being in contact with more experienced readers. The contact with such more experienced readers took place in different ambit configurations, and each ambit had various degrees of importance for each persons reading constitution. Most of the subjects that had the chance to have contact with such more experienced readers during their childhood and adolescence in their family, at school and among neighbors, friends or in the style group became literary readers. Most of the subjects who did not have frequent contact with more experienced readers or did have it but only very rarely during their childhood and adolescence, did not develop reading practices until the age of 17, when they met such more experienced readers in a community library and were involved in social transformation projects, which favored the development of a meaningful and pleasant relationship with knowledge. Data was analyzed from the theoretical point of view of studies on reading and literacy by Magda Becker Soares, Marisa Lajolo, Regina Zilberman and Ivani Ratto, sociological analyses by Pierre Bourdieu, Bernard Charlot, Bernard Lahire and Maria José Viana, investigations on juvenile sociability, education and style groups by Marília Pontes Sposito and Juarez Dayrell, and studies on Vygotskys perspective of human development, schooling and literacy conducted by Marta Kohl de Oliveira and Teresa Rego. (AU)