Exploring Educators' Figured Worlds of Controversial Literature and Adolescent Readers

Abstract

Educators assume the role of gatekeepers when they make literature selections for adolescent classrooms. Their taken‐for‐granted assumptions, or figured worlds, about adolescent and youth literature may inform their decisions to either select or preemptively censor books. In this qualitative study, the authors examined the figured worlds of six preservice and inservice middle and secondary educators as they read and discussed controversial youth literature (i.e., challenged or banned books). Three themes emerged in the analysis: figured worlds about youth, figured worlds about “appropriate” literature, and figured worlds about how adolescents should access controversial literature. These figured worlds may shape which books these participants would choose to include or exclude from their classrooms. The authors conclude by sharing suggestions that educators may use to deconstruct their own figured worlds and promote wider access to a diverse range of literature for adolescent readers.

“Not Just For Us Nerds”: Examining Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives of Contemporary Children’s Nonfiction

“…Preemptive censorship (sometimes called self-censorship) occurs when educators avoid using books because they are afraid of the controversy the books will create (Fanetti, 2012). Teachers preemptively censor books for a variety of reasons, including fear of parental backlash (Hartsfield & Kimmel, 2020;Kimmel & Hartsfield, 2019), fear of confronting controversial topics in school (Wollman-Bonilla, 1998), and fear of corrupting children (Dresang, 2003). Preemptive censorship has unfortunate consequences such as limiting students" exposure to diverse ideas (Boyd & Bailey, 2009).…”

Reflection and projection: Inclusive and diverse texts in the English Language Arts curriculum

“…These intentions might be understandable, but ultimately, they prevent students from having difficult conversations that could produce more knowledgeable and empathetic young people (Connors & Trites, 2022). Hartsfield and Kimmel (2020) discuss how educators make decisions about which books to read and they note that "selection becomes preemptive censorship when a book aligns with selection principles but is rejected because of fear of controversy" (p. 443). These fears limit students' exposure to a diverse range of texts and deny the opportunity for thought-provoking dialogue about challenging topics.…”

Supporting the Right to Read: Principles for Selecting Children’s Books

“…A study by School Library Journal (Jacobson, 2016) notes the troubling trend of rising preemptive censorship among school librarians, finding more than 90% of elementary and middle school librarians surveyed in the study admitted to preemptive censorship. Though the prevalence of preemptive censorship can be difficult to track because of its private nature (Fanetti, 2012), research findings indicate pre‐ and inservice teachers are inclined to avoid books with potentially controversial topics (Freedman & Johnson, 2000; Hartsfield & Kimmel, 2020a; Kimmel & Hartsfield, 2019; Papola‐Ellis, 2016; Schmidt et al, 2007; Wollman‐Bonilla, 1998). These findings suggest that like their counterparts in the school library, teachers may also engage in preemptive censorship.…”