Cultural transfer in reading groups: From theory to practice and back

Abstract

People who discuss books in reading groups are playing a role in transferring cultural values, norms and ideas about themes present in the literature they read. How this cultural transfer takes place, and in which ways the process can be enhanced, has to date not been examined. Therefore, the University of Groningen, the Netherlands collaborated with two public libraries and a community organization to set up a research project addressing different aspects of the process from inside reading groups. The results imply that readers who are focusing on reflection and interpretation of literature play an important role in cultural transfer, which can be assisted by the use of reading guides. The collaboration between scholars and non-academic partners proved fruitful in co-creating knowledge that can be used in further research and to improve service to reading groups.