Reading over generations : A qualitative study of a family’s reading habits

The aim of this Master’s thesis was to investigate if one can identify a pattern in a family’s reading habits. Our empirical data was gathered in a survey distributed to a family in three generations, between the ages 15 to 82. The family was interviewed in a life time perspective, in a so called life story character. The questions addressed in this thesis concerned how the reading habits and the general attitude toward literature differ between generations in one family. This includes how each member views their personal, as well as the other members’ literature habits. Further, if a difference in the reading pattern could be seen over the generation span. In our analysis we compared our results, based on the family as the essence of the survey, to previous research and theories. Sten Folke Larsen’s knowledge taxonomy, Säljö's social culture perspective and Bourdieu's theses were among the theories used to create a wider perspective and understanding for our survey. The result of our survey showed that the overall attitudes towards literature were positive even though none of the family members, beside the grandfather, had been directly encouraged to read during childhood. The common perception among the family members was that the mother played a central part in their reading habits. They also stated that their purpose for reading were to relax and escape reality for a short while.Uppsatsnivå: