When reading diverse literature, the subject of creditability will always come about. What makes a reliable author? Does it have to be someone who is part of the culture being represented in the book because of his or her religion, race, sex, etc? Or can it just be an individual that has emerged him or her in the topic (whether it be through research, personal experience, etc)?
Personally, I feel that it can be either. The most important factor is the writer know enough about what they are writing so they help break stereotypes, or bias and still provide a story that many can relate to. If someone is not of the culture they have chosen to write about but they have been doing research for years, or earned a college degree in the subject matter, or have any strong interest in the subject matter, then who is to say that they do not know what they are talking about? That being said, I would still want to see more information about a writer who is not of the culture they are writing about then I would an author who is from the culture. This is because anyone can write about anything. There is nothing standing in the way, depicting what topics are appropriate for specific people to write about.
When reading books from authors that are from the culture they are writing about, I would like to see information about them as well as other pieces they have written. If there is someone that would be classified as from the culture, but their life experiences don't represent what they are writing about, I would question using that text. Some of the best diverse readings are going to come from authors from the same culture, while some of the worst can come from them as well.
When talking about how she choose authors for her multicultural book, Violet J. Harris states in her article, "No Invitations Required to Share Multicultural Literature, "I selected the Authors because they are experts in literacy and/or children's literature; they are informed about the groups literature; and they possess the critical consciousness that enabled they to assess the literature in a forthright manner." I feel that this sums up exactly who should be writing the books. It is not an issue of being an insider or an outsider; it is a matter of being an educated individual in the area that you have interest in, and sharing that information with everyone else to the best of your ability.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I also agree with you that it is a hard decision to make because someone can be of the culture and they are are writing about an aspect of the culture they are not really familiar with then they are not the best people to be trusted. But, at the same time an outsider can be highly qualified and so would be a better author than the insider.
Post a Comment