Manga, youth culture, and reader development

connections between reading, literature, and multiliteracies

Abstract

This article investigates manga as a cultural artifact and a genre belonging to the literary field, analyzing its relationships with contemporary reading practices and with the theoretical assumptions of multiliteracies. Considering the gap between youth reading practices and the forms of legitimation promoted by the school, it discusses how manga, as a sequential, multimodal, and widely consumed narrative, can contribute to reader development in the 21^st century. Grounded in authors such as Chartier, Rojo, Luyten, Candido, and Vygotsky, the study examines three central axes: the delegitimization of “wild readings”, the role of multimodality in the constitution of the contemporary reader, and the articulations between culture, affectivity, and reading practices. It argues that manga directly engages with formative demands outlined in the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC), offering opportunities for the development of critical reading, semiotic analysis, and students’ cultural participation. In light of the research conducted, it is concluded that its inclusion in the school context does not represent a concession to entertainment, but rather a practice consistent with the complexity of texts and youth cultures contemporary society.