Influence of culture on response to literature: Ten Black women respond to short stories by Black writers

There has been an infusion of diverse literature into American classrooms at every level of education. Much of that literature has been of cultures located outside America's geographic boundaries. It's been difficult, however, for America to infuse the literature of its African American subculture. This is due to the particular and peculiar history that has shaped and is shared by both Anglo American and African in American cultures.; The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of culture on reader response. The study was a close examination of responses made by ten African American women of various educational levels and expertise. Five of the women were formally educated English teachers with Master's degrees and in some instances special certificates. The five informally educated women's education ranged from third or fourth grade to the completion of high school. All of these women had done some form of domestic service work.; In one to three hour sessions, participants were interviewed to obtain personal background information, information about their experiences with written and oral literature and they responded to three short stories written by African American writers. Each story had been divided into segments.; The data were analyzed according to cultural indicators, features of African American literature and a cultural model of involuntary responses. The evidence supported the position that culture is an influence on reader response both in terms of the cultural content and constructs within the text and the background knowledge and experience of the reader. Evidence also supported the position that advanced formal education is not a strong determining influence in depth and richness of response when the reader has background knowledge of and experience relevant to the text.; Each reader brought cultural specific knowledge to bear on her literary experience. Knowledge was based on formal academic knowledge and on a folk-fund of knowledge. In eighty percent of the responses culture was brought to bear on the literary experience, and all participants identified literary features informed by African American culture.