ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book builds upon and extends understandings about the role of masculinity in creating and constraining reading experiences for boys, locating male discourses at school within broader and contextual relations. Outcomes from the book illustrate that discourses of masculinity influence boys' investments in, and perceptions of, reading. Furthermore, negotiations of individual and group identity during the pursuit and expression of masculinity contributed to enabling and constraining reading experiences. Typically, more girls than boys indicated positive attitudes and enjoyment for reading. Generally, there was a tendency for groups of students to interpret enabling parental views at home and to describe incidences in which their parents encouraged them to read, indicating they valued this practice. Economic disadvantage became visible as a contextual influence and added to the complexity of masculinities constructed.