There’s more to it than just girl power: a case study exploring a women’s and gender studies class taught with The Hunger Games

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Sarah Elizabeth Colonna (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Leila Villaverde

Abstract: In this qualitative case study dissertation, the researcher explored students’ perspectives on young adult dystopian fiction in the feminist classroom. Through the lens of popular culture and storytelling, the researcher considers the powerful pedagogical possibilities that lie within these stories. Using a single class as a case study, students were interviewed about their experience in a class taught using The Hunger Games trilogy. Data was also collected from student assignments, class documents, and the researcher’s field journal. The results of this study include five categories that exemplified the students’ experience learning with young adult dystopian fiction: the power of storytelling; students’ reflections on class experiences; the need for imagination; fiction as educational space; and continuing to think with The Hunger Games. Further, this study showed there is room for additional study of the intersection of young adult dystopian fiction and feminist pedagogy and highlights the place of imagination and storytelling in higher education.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
Case study, Feminist theory, Storytelling, Women's and gender studies, Young adult literature
Subjects
Women's studies $x Study and teaching
Feminism and higher education
Young adult fiction, American $y 21st century $x History and criticism
Dystopias in literature
Collins, Suzanne. $t Hunger Games (Series)

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