Skip to content
2018
Volume 115, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 0013-8274
  • E-ISSN: 2161-8895

Abstract

This essay examines how anti-fatness manifests in literacy classrooms and argues that culturally relevant pedagogy must expand to include body-inclusive teaching practices that affirm students of all sizes.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.58680/ej2026115313
2026-01-01
2026-06-14
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Amato, N. A. (2019) “I’m fat. It’s not a cuss word”: A critical content analysis of young adult literature featuring fat female protagonists. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 15(1), 1–25. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nw1vS4ZoN9ELFobklc4nL-jMffZIKpgn/view
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Bishop, R. S. (1990) Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3), ix–xi.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Davison, K. K., Markey, C. N., & Birch, L. L. (2003) A longitudinal examination of patterns in girls’ weight concerns and body dissatisfaction from ages 5 to 9 years. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 33(3), 320–332. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.10142
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Feder, T. (2021) Bodies are cool. Rocky Pond Books.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Fipps, L. (2021) Starfish. Nancy Paulsen Books.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Foos, K. A. (2024) We need bigger mirrors: The importance of fat fiction for young readers. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 23(2), 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-09-2023-0119
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Gilliland, R. V. (2021) How Moon Fuentez fell in love with the universe. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Gordon, A. (2019, October15). The bizarre and racist history of the BMI. Medium. https://elemental.medium.com/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi-7d8dc2aa33bb
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Gordon, A. (2020) What we don’t talk about when we talk about fat. Beacon Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Harriger, J. A., Calogero, R. M., Witherington, D. C., & Smith, J. E. (2010) Body size stereotyping and internalization of the thin ideal in preschool girls. Sex Roles, 63(9–10), 609–620.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Harrison, V. (2023) Big. Little, Brown.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Herbozo, S., Tantleff-Dunn, S., Gokee-Larose, J., & Thompson, J. K. (2004) Beauty and thinness messages in children’s media: A content analysis. Eating Disorders, 12(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640260490267742
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Johnson, K. (2024) From the side-eye of a fat Black girl: Using pop culture to tackle fat phobia in education. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 23(2), 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-09-2023-0118
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Ladson-Billings, G. (1995) Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312032003465
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Maldonado, C. (2021) Fat chance, Charlie Vega. Holiday House.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Manfredi, A. (Ed.) (2019) The (other) F word: A celebration of the fat and fierce. Amulet Books.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Martín, P. (2023) Mexikid: A graphic memoir. Penguin Random House.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Smith, D. E. (2022) Transformational sanctuaries in the middle level ELA classroom: Creating truth spaces for Black girls. Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Smith, D. E. (2024) Nurturing loving fat: Growing beyond the weeds of fat phobia. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 23(2), 142–181. https://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-10-2023-0128
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Smith, D. E., & Jackson, J. (2024a) An open letter to fat people, their teachers, and their critics. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 23(2), 137–141. https://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-06-2024-203
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Smith, D. E., & Jackson, J. (2024b) Seeking sanctuary in loving fat: A path to transformation and acceptance. Council Chronicle, 33(3), 15–19. https://doi.org/10.58680/cc202433315
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Strings, S. (2019) Fearing the Black body: The racial origins of fat phobia. NYU Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Suggs, C. (2023) ¡Ay Mija! My bilingual summer in Mexico. Little Brown Ink.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Taylor, S. R. (2018) The body is not an apology: The power of radical self-love. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Walker, A., Yoon, B., & Pankowski, J. (2024) Advancing middle grade research on critical pedagogy: Research synthesis. Education Sciences, 14(9), Article 997. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090997
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.58680/ej2026115313
Loading
/content/journals/10.58680/ej2026115313
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test