The affective-logic divide in literature teaching: Teachers' affective encounters with literature

Kuvaus

Literature’s ability to affect readers by provoking thought, stirring emotions, and raising ethical questions is often highlighted as a central reason for both reading literature and teaching it. Previous research has primarily focused on literature’s affective potential (e.g., Felski, 2020) and students’ affective responses (e.g., García-González et al., 2020), while teachers’ affective engagement with literature has received less attention. At the same time, earlier studies emphasize that an important aspect of developing as a literature teacher is allowing oneself to be affected by literature (Harstad, 2018).

This study is based on the assumption that teachers’ own affective encounters with literature play a crucial role in creating spaces for affective engagement in literature education. The aim of the study is to explore teachers’ affective encounters with literature and what these might mean for literature teaching. The empirical material consists of video-recorded focus group discussions with subject teachers in Swedish and literature (grades 7–9 and upper secondary school). Participants were asked to bring picturebooks that had affected them in some way and that they had used or considered using in literature teaching. Theoretically, we build on approaches that emphasize the interplay between affective and analytical modes of reading (Felski, 2008, 2020). We do this by thinking with affect theory and concepts such as intensities, forces, and desire (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987/2013; Massumi, 1995).

Preliminary analyses of the focus group discussions show, among other things, that teachers often choose literature based on what affects them personally, while also expressing a tension between their own affective encounters with literature and how these can form the basis for literature teaching. Based on these initial analyses, we discuss the opportunities and challenges that teachers’ affective engagement with literature may entail for literature education.

Aikajakso	2 lokak. 2025
Tapahtuman otsikko	LDN-konferens 2025: Globala perspektiv på litteraturundervisning
Tapahtuman tyyppi	Konferenssi
Sijainti	Linköping, SwedenNäytä kartalla
Tunnustuksen arvo	Kansainvälinen