Problems of analyzing the concept of literacy as a social practice.
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Keywords:
literacy as a social practice, reading for understanding, writing, literacy events,Abstract
The terms of reference for this article paper start from international debate concerning the meanings of literacy, ‘a subject that informs educational, human rights and development discourse’. For many, use of the term ‘literacy’ evokes the question of how children learn to read and this, then, is what the concept has been taken to mean. As we shall see, a similar metonymy is evident in adult literacy circles, where reference to an interest in ‘literacy’ is taken to be an interest in how to overcome ‘illiteracy’ by teaching adults how to read (even though for many a major motivation in entering literacy programmes is to learn how to write). For purposes of the present paper, it is important to note here that some of these assumptions are considered prominent for the process of establishing the concept of literacy as a social practice. Once we have looked more closely at other questions and other traditions of enquiry it will become evident how this focus on ‘literacy as reading’ marginalizes many other meanings of the term.References
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2 Aikman S. Intercultural education and literacy: An ethnographic study of indigenous knowledge and learning in the Peruvian Amazon. – Benjamins: Amsterdam, 1999.
3 Barton D. and Hamilton M. Local literacies: Reading and writing in one community. – Routledge: London, 1998.
4 Collins J. Literacy and Literacies. – Annual Review of Anthropology, 1995. – Р. 24, 75-93.
5 Erickson F., Gutierrez, K. Culture, rigor and science in educational research. – Educational Researcher, 31(8), 21-4, 2002.
6 Gee 'The New Literacy Studies; form "socially situated" to the work of the social' in Barton D., Hamilton, M. and Ivanic, R.(2000) Situated Literacies: reading and writing in context. – Routledge: London, 2000. – Р. 180-196.
7 Hornberger N. (ed.) The continua of biliteracy: a framework for educational policy, research and practice in multiple settings.– Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2002.
8 Kalman J. Writing on the Plaza: mediated literacy practices among scribes and clients in Mexico City. – Hampton Press:Cresskill NJ, 1999.
9 Kress G and van Leeuwen T Multimodal Discourse: the modes and media of contemporary communication Arnold. –London, 2001.
10 Kulick D., Stroud, C. Conceptions and uses of literacy in a Papua New Guinean village. – In Street, B. (Ed.) Cross Cultural Approaches to Literacy. – Cambridge: CUP, 1993. – Р. 30-61.
11 Robinson-Pant, A. Why eat green cucumbers at the time of dying? – The Link between Women's Literacy and Development.– Unesco: Hamburg, 1997.
12 Rogers, A Using Literacy: A new approach to post literacy materials. – London: ODA (DfID), 1994.
13 Snow C. E., et al. Preventing reading difficulties in young children. – Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children. – Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998.
14 Street B. ed. Literacy and Development: ethnographic perspectives. – Routledge: London, 2001.
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Aldaberdikyzy А. (2015). Problems of analyzing the concept of literacy as a social practice. Eurasian Journal of Philology: Science and Education, 147(1). Retrieved from https://philart.kaznu.kz/index.php/1-FIL/article/view/61
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