Abstract of

Zines for Social Justice: Adolescent Girls Writing on Their Own

Barbara J. Guzzetti, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA

Margaret Gamboa, Arizona State University

Despite the popularity of self-published teen zines, few studies have been conducted of the adolescent girls who write and read them. Past research on teens' reading and writing shows that adolescents read and write along stereotypical or gendered lines. This study explores the out-of-school literacy practices of three adolescent girls who write and publish their own zine by writing against gender, race, and class stereotypes. The study identifies what motivates and enables these girls in writing differently on their own and describes how young women use and develop their literacy skills to enable them to form and express their identities. Methods of participant observation were used to address these questions. Findings have implications for student-centered instruction by identifying relevant ways to engage adolescents in literacy activity.

Abstract from Guzzetti, B.J., & Gamboa, M. (2004, October/November/December). Zines for Social Justice: Adolescent Girls Writing on Their Own. Reading Research Quarterly, 39(4), 408–436. doi: 10.1598/RRQ.39.4.4