My capstone research on the detrimental consequences of book banning was eye-opening. As an English major, I was drawn to the concept of working on a study revolving books, but as an education major, I needed to fuse the two together seamlessly.
Books and their validity in the educational realm have been a topic of conversation lately, and I felt like researching the negative consequences of book banning was the perfect fit. The fact that it was such a hot button issue though, both held me back and also motivated me, to develop and put forth research that defended the validity of books and their place in the educational system.
While I had always thought of book banning as simply censorship, digging and researching further revealed the actual complexity behind the subject at hand with significant consequences for educational and intellectual freedom.
Throughout the course of my research, I was struck by the detrimental and overwhelmingly negative impact that book bans had on student learning, especially the hinderance of their cognitive empathy and critical thinking skills. It baffles me that there is so much research presented on how detrimental the effects are on students, yet there is still a push for books to be banned in order to preserve a traditional, conservative ideology.
Books that inspired me to become an educator in the field of English are on the chopping block and have even been removed from entire school districts. Books that explore the devastatingly complex history of slavery like Toni Morrison’s Beloved or books that address the negative consequences of the abuse of governmental power like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale or George Orwell’s 1984 have been restricted, questioned, and in some cases, entirely removed from districts. Promoting the idea that understanding life from the lenses of people who differ in race, gender, and overall circumstance is something to be avoided, and a homogenous view of life and a certain set of beliefs is the “correct” or “only proper way” to live life.
This research was mentally and physically taxing, but the payoff restored that energy and served as a mental and physical reward. Seeing my research done in its entirety was the physical reward, but obtaining the knowledge and understanding behind book banning and its negative impacts has sparked a much stronger passion within me in regards to educating students equitably and inclusively.
The topic of book banning has been more than ever on the rise, and frankly, there is not enough research under the belts of anti-book banning advocates. I would hope to develop a book out of my research if I could expand upon it further with actual conducted studies. I would look across varying school districts with banned books, and those without, to compare standardized testing, cognitive empathy, and even critical thinking. I believe that the more studies are conducted and available to the public, the more awareness and advocacy will be in place to support students’ academic freedom
alongside fostering their empathy and critical thinking skills.
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