Juventud y lectura : una investigación sobre adolescentes en Barcelona

This paper presents the initial findings of a 2013 survey of adolescents in Barcelona regarding their relations with reading. It begins with a presentation of data regarding reading in Spain and then proceeds to data collected in the field. This data was gathered at four public schools in four distinct regions: Ciutat Vella (Ciudad Vieja), Raval and Barceloneta, Sarrià - Sant Gervasi - Gràcia and Zona Franca. At each school, questionnaires regarding reading were initially applied and 248 of these were collected. During the second stage of the research, interviews were conducted in groups of about 45 young people. Finally, individual interviews were carried out. I discovered that reading is part of the daily life of young people in different ways. It enters into the lives of youth either through the school and their obligation to read, or through already acquired reading habits which are related to pleasure. It was clear that readers’ parents influence the formation of readers. Another important element in the
Spanish context was the symbolic and cultural dimensions of the neighborhood libraries frequented by the very young. Finally, I noticed that many youths need a space to express themselves freely, as the school is seen as a place of obligation where reading is not associated with pleasure. This research is part of a broader, comparative study of adolescents in Rio de Janeiro.