The Same but Different: Making Meaning from Modified Texts with Cross-cultural Themes

Authors

  • Cynthia B. Leung University of South Florida St. Petersburg
  • Susan V. Bennett University of South Florida St. Petersburg
  • AnnMarie Alberton Gunn University of South Florida St. Petersburg

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v19i2.1277

Keywords:

modified texts, reader response, text adaptations, cultural misunderstandings, cross-cultural texts

Abstract

Reader response theory provides the framework for the present study that explored literary elements and cultural responses of fifth-grade students to two modified versions of a cross-cultural text, Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz. One group of students read the first chapter of the book and another group read a modified basal reader version that had deleted cultural information. Group discussions of the texts were videotaped and transcribed. Through constant comparative analysis of field notes and transcripts, two themes emerged: (a) personal interest and connections to stories and (b) cultural implications and misinterpretations.

Author Biography

Cynthia B. Leung, University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Professor of Literacy Education, College of Education, University of South Florida St. Peterseburg

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Published

2017-06-29

How to Cite

Leung, C. B., Bennett, S. V., & Gunn, A. A. (2017). The Same but Different: Making Meaning from Modified Texts with Cross-cultural Themes. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 19(2), 82–99. https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v19i2.1277

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 2 (2017): Open Theme Issue

Section

Articles (Peer-reviewed)