Literature reader or not?

Students at the IB Diploma Programme and their reading autobiographies

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to increase our understanding of upper secondary school students’ reading identities. In the study we perform a thematic analysis (Robinson, 2021) of 28 students’ written reader autobiographies (Golland, 2019; Millard, 1997a; Mossberg Schüllerqvist & Olin-Scheller, 2011). The texts are written by students who have just begun their studies at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at two schools in Sweden. The analysis reveals that the students’ reading from childhood until today can be described in different periods, marked by being read to, being a bookworm, and interruptions. All the students share positive experiences from being read to at an early age. Hereafter, the students follow five different tracks, where interruption is followed by a bookworm period or vice versa. Some students give up reading after the bookworm period, while others return to books after an interruption. Reading for pleasure is challenged by school reading and other interests, but the students also show an interest in positioning themselves as readers. The reasons why the students read are described as a will to escape from the real world for a while, but they also put forward education (Bildung) as a main reason. The students are aware of what is a valuable cultural capital in this specific context (Bourdieu, 1977). The results of the study can have an impact on how literature education is planned since the strong ideal of Bildung can be used as a point of departure. As a teacher, it is also essential to be aware of the competition from other school subjects and the students’ leisure-time activities.