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Boundaries for Contemporary Literature: The Role of Censorship and Choice
Author(s) -
Denzin Jen
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of adolescent and adult literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1936-2706
pISSN - 1081-3004
DOI - 10.1002/jaal.213
Subject(s) - reading (process) , censorship , content (measure theory) , psychology , power (physics) , pedagogy , reflection (computer programming) , mathematics education , computer science , political science , law , mathematical analysis , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , programming language
Promoting student power in the choice of high school literature can prove uncomfortable, unruly, and contentious. Without enough preparation, research, and reading, teachers may find language, content, and themes to be more mature than initially anticipated. This essay explores one teacher's reflection of two instances when choice reading lead to discussions and written reflections of questionable content. Providing a look into the potential pitfalls associated with choice reading for both the high school teacher and student, with insightful student responses and data from teacher‐research, the power that comes from choice ultimately trumps the fear of “inappropriate” content.