Honors Theses and Capstones
Teaching and Learning from Culturally Diverse Literature
Date of Award
Spring 2018
Project Type
Senior Honors Thesis
College or School
COLA
Department
English
Program or Major
English Teaching
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
First Advisor
Alecia Magnifico
Abstract
Works by authors of color are rarely utilized in many secondary school English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. Even when these works are taught, teachers are often afraid to center classroom discussions on topics such as diversity, racism, and oppression. While many frameworks exist to help teachers overcome the fear they have in facilitating these sorts of cultural conversations, the conversations surrounding literature are still often based in white, male-authored classics. To advocate for the inclusion of more diverse literature in secondary school, this study examines how college students and professors take up the study of diverse literature. This project reviews the experiences of five college students who have studied minority literature and two tenured faculty members who have taught courses on minority literature in an attempt to understand how to best approach literary conversations about diversity and cultural awareness in a secondary school setting.
Recommended Citation
Engen, Andrea E., "Teaching and Learning from Culturally Diverse Literature" (2018). Honors Theses and Capstones. 390.
https://scholars.unh.edu/honors/390