Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Keywords

Cloning in literature; Young adult fiction; Cloning--Moral and ethical aspects;

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discover the issues raised about human cloning in young adult fiction. This study determined the themes found in the young adult fiction selected and if those themes reflected issues about human cloning. The questions asked in the study were: 1. Does young adult fiction confront the complexity of ethical issues about human cloning? 2. Do the plots and characters in young adult fiction about cloning provide substance to provoke reader response to the ethical controversies that surround cloning? A thematic analysis was conducted. The researcher read each book and recorded themes that were present. This list of preliminary themes was grouped to create six final themes: Utilitarianism, Exceptionality of Clones, Individuality, The Fight for or Against Control, Dislike or Hatred of Clones, and Justification of Cloning. Both print and electronic resources were used to gather titles of young adult fiction books that dealt with human cloning. This list of titles was compared with WorldCat search results showing the number of OCLC member libraries owning the books. Those books owned by more than 200 libraries were considered. Nineteen books were chosen. Eight titles were removed from the list which left eleven books eligible for the study. The study found that young adult fiction about human cloning did address the ethical issues about the topic that were reported in the news or discussed in research. The books in the study addressed the complexity of the issues to varying degrees. Books that included human cloning as a main part of the story discussed the issues and the complexity of those issues with more detail than those books where human cloning was just an incidental part of the storyline.

Year of Submission

2010

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Department

Division of School Library Studies

First Advisor

Jean Donham

Date Original

2010

Object Description

1 PDF file (vii, 61 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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