Dissertation
Big Butter Jesus
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Creative Arts, University of the Sunshine Coast
2011
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00253
Abstract
The subject index of the Austlit database reveals that between the years 1970 to 2007, less than one percent of Australian contemporary, realistic young adult novels have Christianity as a theme, despite over 60% of the population in the age group 15-24 identifying as Christians (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006). This representation is compared to the representations of non-Christian religions and Aboriginal traditional religions, which are represented proportionally to the population. The exegesis explores reasons for this lack of representation of the religious and spiritual beliefs of mainstream adolescents. After establishing that religion and spiritual beliefs are relevant and of interest to modern-day mainstream teenagers, the research examines whether the origin of this absence is due to Australia's secularism, and if so, what is the nature and source of this secularism? Does it constitute a dominant or 'hegemonic' discourse in Australian culture? What is the relationship between the dominant secular discourse and multiculturalism? Does young adult fiction reflect this relationship? Are young adult novels as secular as they appear or do authorial and narrative voices contain, at times, covert messages of Christian morality? Has the dominant culture's secularism impacted upon the publishing industry to produce largely secular novels, especially through the pressure exerted by the buying power of public schools? What impact have the "gatekeepers" or the "guardians" - the librarians, book reviewers, judges on book award councils - had upon determining the content of young adult fiction? What are the implications for mainstream young adults of not having their beliefs represented in realistic, contemporary novels?
Details
- Title
- Big Butter Jesus
- Authors
- Mary Tucker
- Contributors
- Gary Crew (Supervisor)
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Creative Arts
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00253
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Creative Industries - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449795102621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
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