Literature and Affection: reading clubs as communities of meaning

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the experience of women's book clubs as communities of meaning, highlighting their role in building networks of affection, promoting reading, and empowering women. Adopting a qualitative, descriptive-analytical approach, the research is grounded in the assumptions of cultural studies and the concept of interpretive communities, while also engaging with references on literature, gender, and technological mediation. The methodology adopted was a multiple case study, involving in-person and virtual women's book clubs. Data collection was conducted through participant observation, interaction analysis, and semi-structured interviews with participants. The data were subjected to thematic analysis, seeking to identify categories related to shared reading practices, affection, and the collective construction of meaning. The results of this study highlight the importance of book clubs as spaces for cultural resistance, literary mediation, and the strengthening of female support networks.