This thesis reports a cross-cultural study that investigated the ways Chinese and
Swedish college students do gender in their experiences of reading English as a
second language. The concept “doing gender in reading” in this study derives from
the view of reading as a social practice that leads to gendered identities construction.
Previous studies, which mostly found that girls outperformed boys in reading
achievement, created a linear relationship between gender and achievement. This
study, informed by social theories of literacy (Gee, 2008; Street, 1984; Kress, 2010)
and poststructuralist theories of gender (Weedon, 1997; Butler, 1990), explored how
socially-constituted gendered ideologies might be instantiated and negotiated in
college students’ experiences of reading English as a second language. It gave
particular attention to diversity within and between genders and to the dynamics of
students’ socio-culturally mediated reading practices. The study was guided by the
following sub-questions:
(a) What gender-specific ideologies can be identified in Chinese and Swedish
college students’ narratives of reading English as a second language?
(b) How do Chinese and Swedish college students act in relation to gender-specific
ideologies in their everyday English reading practices?
The study was conducted with a qualitative approach of narrative inquiry. Focal
informants were four Chinese students and four Swedish students enrolled in English
teacher education programs in their home countries. Data were collected over a sixmonth
period with techniques of student journal writing, interviews, focus groups,
and ethnographic observations. Baxter’s (2003) feminist poststructuralist discourse
analysis framed and guided data analysis.
The study found three recurrent English reading practices across cases that led to
gendered identities construction. These were: making investment in English reading;
adopting the strategy of reading English alone; and choosing English reading
materials in relation to teachers. Overarching ideologies that shaped these practices
included perceptions of reading as a more female-appropriate activity, male readers
as independent readers who could solve problems on their own, and female readers
as emotional readers who are sensitive to their relation with others. Informants’
actions in relation to these gender-specific ideologies fell into two major categories:
conformance and resistance. Findings suggested that female informants seemed to be
more ready to resist these ideologies whereas males tended to comply. Swedish
informants seemed to demonstrate more awareness of and readiness to resist
gendered ideologies compared to Chinese informants.
The findings from this study imply that gendered ideologies can have both
facilitating and debilitating effects on students’ reading experiences. Therefore,
language teachers should develop a critical consciousness of gendered ideologies and
how they relate to their students in specific contexts. In response to prevailing socioculturally
constituted and power-laden ideologies, the study proposes a new
perspective from which to interpret gender and reading English as a second language
across cultures. Such a contribution adds momentum to the paradigm shift from
essentialism to poststructuralism in second language acquisition that purports that
gender is more than an identity label. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:HKU/oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/174470 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Lu, Hangyan., 卢杭艳. |
| Contributors | Luk, JCM, Winter, SJ |
| Publisher | The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) |
| Source Sets | Hong Kong University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | PG_Thesis |
| Source | http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B47752907 |
| Rights | The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works., Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License |
| Relation | HKU Theses Online (HKUTO) |
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