This humanities-oriented, action-research dissertation is a study of the degree to which stigmas may have played a role in students’ approaches to comic texts used in two different college courses. It also shared the complexities the author battled in his own experiences as a comic text reader and educator. Much of the driving force behind the studies within the dissertation stemmed from the author’s own battles with stigma, including a book banning event that centered on his high-school classroom library. In the research chapters, pre- and post-reading surveys were given to adult college students to examine their position on using comic texts in an academic setting. The teaching methods used in correlation to the comic texts were considered in regards to their impact, both positive and negative, on the engagement level of students, and the associated implication of stigma towards comic texts shown via the differently taught events. The complexity of recognizing stigma related to comic text is a key consideration throughout the piece.
Read
