Transcending Boundaries with LGBTQ Webtoons: An Alternative Platform for Democratic Discourse

LGBTQ representations in media and novels, especially in young adult (YA) literature, have become more recurrent and reliable in recent years. While little research exists on youth and transgender stories, existing LGBTQ texts predominantly deal with men, chiefly White gay men (Cart & Jenkins, 2006; Garcia, 2013). To address this imbalanced representation of the LGBTQ community, this study explored how perceptions and attitudes of online readers and youth participants toward LGBTQ themes can lead to greater awareness, discussion, and reflection. The study also explored the transformative potential of online graphic novels as a medium for democratic education and for teaching high school students how to live together despite differences and diverse backgrounds. To this end, I focus on three main theoretical frames and influences: 1) the reciprocity of reading and the possibilities of critical thinking; 2) sociological imagination and an "as if" world that literature makes possible to indirectly experience the other side of stories; and 3) ideological becoming and transformative learning. This study was conducted in two stages. First, I used critical multicultural analysis for analyzing the webtoon "Welcome to Room 305." Second, a narrative inquiry case study approach was used to analyze a sample of reader comments, focus group data, and participant observations to address attitudes, beliefs, and development in "becoming" through reading. From these analyses, three key themes emerged: 1) silenced voices--the voices of insiders; 2) seeing other ways of being and behaving--the voices of outsiders and 3) the participants' sense of community. The findings of the study also indicated that there exist potential benefits to online graphic novels with challenging issues, not only from building emotional connections with characters and other readers but also from the facilitation of democratic discourse among readers. The study further reinforces the unique characteristic of online graphic novels that allowed readers from distant places to connect and share their thoughts and feelings by building a community-like atmosphere. This research, then, offers implications for practice, engaging reluctant teachers with LGBTQ issues as well as three areas for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]