What is it about?
While reading behaviour of adolescents is a frequent object of research, most studies in this field are restricted to a single country. This study investigates reading as a leisure-time activity across social groups from three regions differing in reading tradition as well as in the facilities available for reading. The authors analyse the reading behaviour of a total of 2,173 adolescents in the Netherlands, in Beijing (China), and in Cape Town (South Africa). Taking Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour as a starting point, the authors adjusted it to model the three most important determinants of reading behaviour, namely (1) reading attitude; (2) subjective norms (implicit and explicit social pressure to read); and (3) perceived behavioural control, which includes reading proficiency and appropriateness of the available books (book supply). While they found the adjusted model to fit the Dutch and Beijing situation quite well, it appeared to be inappropriate for the Cape Town situation. Despite considerable cultural and situational differences between the Netherlands and Beijing, the results show a similar pattern for these two environments. The most important determinants turn out to be: the hedonic reading attitude, the implicit norm of family and friends, the attractiveness of the available choice of books, and the perceived reading proficiency.
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Why is it important?
Reading behaviour of adolescents is a frequent object of study, since many teachers, policy makers and sometimes also parents are of the opinion that adolescents spend too little of their spare time reading. These social agents frequently argue that differences in the amount of leisure-time reading done in adolescence might explain differences in vocabulary and reading proficiency and subsequent differences in educational careers. An important question is: What makes adolescents read? Most studies thus far have explored this question for a national sample. Within a particular country or national culture, certain determinants of leisure-time reading can have a lesser effect than others, since general opinions regarding reading as well as opportunities for doing so are fairly constant.
Perspectives
This study suggests that the motivation to read, based on reading attitude and social pressure (subjective norms), can only be converted into actual reading behaviour if an adolescent has the competences to read (is able to read, has the cultural capital to read) and has the opportunities to read (book supply, spare time, peace of mind, and a quiet place). In all three regions the motivation to read is large, in the Netherlands as well as in Beijing and Cape Town. In Cape Town, however, this motivation is not the decisive factor for reading. The perceived appropriateness of the book supply correlates with reading attitude and seems to be most strongly correlated with reading amount. Additional research, involving more regions from more countries differing in reading tradition and opportunity structure, is needed to get a better insight into the relative effects of reading attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control.
Peter Broeder
Tilburg University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Why should I read? - A cross-cultural investigation into adolescents’ reading socialisation and reading attitude, International Review of Education, May 2013, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s11159-013-9354-4.
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