Diversity in English-language books in Norwegian school libraries
Abstract
This thesis examines the diversity in English-language books in ten Norwegian school libraries through mixed methods. In this study, diversity encompasses gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and disability. 1 105 books were the total count in the ten libraries, and 227 books were analyzed for this study. Furthermore, this research encompasses literature studies of the three books that were most frequently found.
Diversity in literature is important for all readers to see, and every child should be able to see themselves reflected in the texts they read. Moreover, it is important for children to read about other views of life to learn and develop empathy. This can also help prevent prejudice, which is relevant to the current curriculum (LK20). Diversity is included as an essential part of the English subject in LK20, and the children are expected to work with a variety of texts. However, this study shows that this aspect of the curriculum is not in focus when it comes to the English-language books available at school libraries.