Reading Communities from Salons to Cyberspace by DeNel Rehberg Sedo

Author:DeNel Rehberg Sedo
Format: epub
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Obviously no intellectual dud herself, Shanna’s self-deprecating comments make evident the symbolic capital of other members and reinforce Bourdieu’s thesis that the cultural consumption process is informed and limited by the resources of cultural capital – whether embodied, inherited or institutionalized – that individual members possess. Within this group, a neuroscientist will not have the cultural authority that a middle school teacher might have until she is able to prove herself as a cultural authority and that authority is accepted and reinforced by other group members. Bourdieu’s ideas are also helpful as we consider the tensions between readers and their text selection process. When I asked in the questionnaire how readers choose books, a 14-year-old Canadian boy wrote: ‘I used to read anything that caught my eye, but lately I have adhered mostly to what other people recommended to me (mainly recommendations I received from members of TYABC) or books that have won awards … I trust the opinions of the experts, and they are rarely wrong.’ The influence of the group members and their discussions can change an individual’s text selection processes. He ‘used to read anything’, but the ‘experts’ have focused his choices. He implies that he has read the texts, and he is satisfied with the reading experiences. What we don’t know from his response, however, is if the cultural competence he garners as a participant in this group translates into cultural capital in his classrooms. What is evident is that he has unfortunately relinquished his own legitimate judgement to those with cultural authority. Ironically, I suspect members of TYABC would prefer he recommend to them selections so that they can increase their own personal capital with the young people in their lives.

The cultural authority of the community as a whole appears to influence not only what readers as young as this one read, but also to extend to other members of the group. To gain authority, members must provide evidence of (a) knowledge of the YA genre, (b) experience with and access to young adults, and (c) industry experience. That is to say it is neither sufficient to write that ‘I liked this book’ nor to post a lot. Those who fulfil the three aforementioned criteria are rewarded with personal accolades and correspondence; they are given access to the inner circle of a coterie. Consider Robert, who posted thoughtful, analytical analysis almost daily. Indeed, the transcripts demonstrate that Robert – a teacher and a reviewer – received and gave the most referrals, responses, and comments of all the TYABC members who post. Discussions even ventured off into what kind of dog he should get, a discussion that would most likely not be tolerated from any other member, but because Robert has ‘earned’ his status within the group, he is able to use the community for more than book talk. The survey respondents referred to Robert as a member whose opinions and interpretations held considerable value. This was evident, too, in the postings when members would write to him specifically.

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