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Exploring the Lived Experiences of Black Girls in a Literary Society: Impacts on Educational Pursuits and Identity Formation

Darian, Alicia
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Abstract

This qualitative, transcendental-phenomenological research study examined the integration of the Black Girls' Literacies theoretical framework and the establishment of a literary society that offered culturally relevant and culturally responsive experiences for Black female students in Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) classes. The study featured a 6-week literary society in which participating students engaged in scaffolded reading experiences designed to enhance their literacy skills and identities. Literary society sessions included relevant themes from books and poems, as well as discussions that reflected the experiences of Black American and minoritized adolescent females, exploring topics such as identity, skills, criticality, intellect, and joy. The research aimed to support and promote critical social literacy practices through culturally responsive pedagogical approaches, helping students develop their literacy identities and educational and social pursuits. Data were collected over six weeks through three primary sources: semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. To minimize the influence of my positionality and maintain the centrality of the participants' voices, Moustakas' (1994) method was employed during the data collection and analysis processes, which included procedures such as Epoché (bracketing), phenomenological reduction, horizontalization, imaginative variation, and the synthesis of meanings and essences of phenomena. This methodological alignment prioritized participant voices and promoted cultural responsiveness. The results demonstrated that literacy, when grounded in culturally relevant practices, became a site of resistance, healing, and possibility. By fostering environments where Black girls could engage with culturally relevant texts and express their unique voices, the literary society enhanced personal identity formation and facilitated the development of disciplinary literacy skills. This focus on identity and voice allowed students to critically engage with various topics and acquire essential tools for agency and academic success. As a result, the study raised important questions about the capabilities of Black girls in educational contexts, challenged narratives about their literacy identities, and highlighted their potential and resilience in the face of systemic obstacles.

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2026-04-17
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Keywords
Black girls’ literacies, phenomenology, culturally responsive teaching, culturally relevant pedagogy, Adolescent identity, Literary society, Disciplinary literacy, CTAE
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Darian, Alicia. 2026. "Exploring the Lived Experiences of Black Girls in a Literary Society: Impacts on Educational Pursuits and Identity Formation." Dissertation, Georgia State University. http://doi.org/10.57709/55
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