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This study focuses on Black nerds, or “Blerds,” in urban Toronto, with participants aged 16 to 25 who identify as predominantly working class. Findings show that graphic novels, fan fiction, traditional comics, and webcomics are key reading choices. Participatory research examines how these texts shape understandings of race, representation, and prosocial skills and values.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/black-nerds-pleasure-reading-choices-race-representation-and-prosocial-skills/157873/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/black-nerds-pleasure-reading-choices-race-representation-and-prosocial-skills/157873.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Mason","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-21","2026-08-29",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",15,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"Who are the study participants and what is their reading context?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The study centers on young people in urban Toronto who belong to the Black nerd subculture known as “Blerds,” aged 16 to 25 and predominantly working class.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What reading choices do the participants report for pleasure?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Graphic novels, fan fiction, traditional comics, and webcomics are identified as their main pleasure reading choices.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How does the research connect these texts to race, representation, and social learning?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Using participatory research, the study examines how the texts are read and how they influence understandings and values related to race, representation, and prosocial skills.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},157873,1787990531,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},5909887256941,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","BLACK NERDS’ PLEASURE READING CHOICES: RACE, REPRESENTATION AND  \nPROSOCIAL SKILLS  \nJANET SEOW  \nA DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO  \nTHE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES  \nIN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS  \nFOR THE DEGREE OF  \nDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY  \nGRADUATE PROGRAM IN HUMANITIES  \nYORK UNIVERSITY  \nTORONTO, ONTARIO  \nMARCH 2022  \n© JANET SEOW, 2022  \nABSTRACT  \nNot much is known about what African Canadian Black youth read for pleasure. The subject of this study is a group of young people who belong to the Black nerd subculture (aka Blerds) of urban Toronto. The participants are between 16 and 25 years of age and identify as predominantly working class. Research conducted with this group reveals that graphic novels, fan fiction, traditional comics and webcomics are their main reading choices. Participatory research is used to understand how these texts are read and their implications for race, representation and prosocial skills and values.  \nAlthough there are common threads among all Blerds, this study adopts and adapts youth subcultural theory and intersectional theory to understand the unique interest, sense of belonging, morals and values of Blerds in the specific location of urban Toronto. Since research on the Blerd subculture is limited, the study’s findings provide insights into the Blerd culture and Black youth’s perspectives about living in multiracial, multicultural Toronto.  \nKey Words: Blerds, Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga, Afrofuturism, Cosplay, Participatory  \nResearch  \nACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  \nI would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals, without whose help this dissertation would not have been possible: Dr. Leslie Sanders, Dr. Vermonja Alston, Dr. Cheryl Cowdy and Dr. Kabita Chakraborty.  \nI thank the young people who consented to participate in the study that formed the basis of this research.  \nI would like to add a special thanks to my friends and family who have been so supportive throughout the years. I am humbled by your generosity, patience and faith in me.  \nTABLE OF CONTENTS  \nABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................... ii  \nACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ ii  \nTABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................... iii  \n[LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................................... vi](LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................................... vi)  \n[LIST OF FIGURES ...............................](LIST OF FIGURES ...............................)....................................................................................... vii  \nINTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1  \nBlerds.......................................................................................................................................... 1  \nSelf-Reflexivity........................................................................................................................... 4  \nMethodology ............................................................................................................................ 10  \nChapter Summaries ................................................................................................................ 12  \nCHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................................. 14  \nTheory And Methodology............................................................................................................. 14  \nIntroduction ..........................................","cbCaiu5UdWNhuWlv","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiu5UdWNhuWlv","pdf",1777495,171,"English","# Introduction\n## Blerds\n## Self-Reflexivity\n## Methodology\n## Chapter Summaries\n# CHAPTER 1\n## Theory And Methodology\n## Introduction\n## Social Construction\n## Intersectionality: Race, Gender and Class\n## Subcultural Theory\n## Methodology\n## Role of the Researcher\n## Participants and Methods\n## Multiple Methods\n## Ethics\n## Coding and Data Analysis\n## Conclusion\n# CHAPTER 2\n## Reading to Escape and Imagine other Possibilities\n## Digital Comics\n## Graphic Novels","[{\"question\":\"Who are the study participants and what is their reading context?\",\"answer\":\"The study centers on young people in urban Toronto who belong to the Black nerd subculture known as “Blerds,” aged 16 to 25 and predominantly working class.\"},{\"question\":\"What reading choices do the participants report for pleasure?\",\"answer\":\"Graphic novels, fan fiction, traditional comics, and webcomics are identified as their main pleasure reading choices.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the research connect these texts to race, representation, and social learning?\",\"answer\":\"Using participatory research, the study examines how the texts are read and how they influence understandings and values related to race, representation, and prosocial skills.\"}]","BLACK NERDS’ PLEASURE READING CHOICES - RACE, REPRESENTATION AND PROSOCIAL SKILLS | PDF",431]