Literary socialization in the family: A state of the art

Abstract The present article reviews the research on family influences upon literary socialization. Although the information available is fragmented and scattered over a number of disciplines, it is nevertheless possible to outline some generally favourable factors in the emergence of literary competence and literary motivation. Positive influences concern material provisions (such as the presence of books in the household) or parental attitudes toward literature. More important still are the interactions relating to literature and the way they are embedded in the family's pattern of daily activities. Furthermore, quiet and coherence, as well as feelings of intimacy and security, being a prerequisite for the development of self-control, strongly favour the formation of positive attitudes and more appropriate skills in dealing with literature. The relationship between social class and families' literary climate, reported frequently in the literature, is discussed critically. The explanatory power of various theories turns out to be low. It is therefore proposed to analyse the existing data from a socio-historic framework, allowing a more adequate formulation of a theory of literary socialization bearing on the family's contribution.