Literacy in Theory and PracticeThis book challenges conventional theories about literacy, and the practices which often arise from them. It attempts to provide a new perspective through which the variety of literacy practices across different cultures can be viewed and from which the practical issues that arise in specific literacy campaigns and programmes can be approached. Dr Street first examines the explicit theories developed about literacy within different academic disciplines, on the premise that these underlie statements about literacy within development campaigns and in everyday usage. He analyses in detail arguments about the 'technical' and 'neutral' nature of literacy and its supposed 'cognitive' consequences in the work of some psychologists, linguists and social anthropologists. He claims that these amount to a coherent but flawed model that he terms the 'autonomous' model of literacy. Against this he poses an 'ideological' model, one which pays greater attention to the social structure. He attempts to bring together recent shifts in this direction in writings on literacy and to construct a coherent model for further work. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 36
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... neutral objective description ' and they support the argument by reference to the ' intrinsically greater objec- tivity of written language ' . Some anthropologists , attempting to explain messianic religious movements , have appealed ...
... neutral objective description ' and they support the argument by reference to the ' intrinsically greater objec- tivity of written language ' . Some anthropologists , attempting to explain messianic religious movements , have appealed ...
Page 1
... neutral ' or merely ' technical ' . I shall demonstrate that what practices are taught and how they are imparted depends upon the nature of the social formation . The skills and concepts that accompany literacy acquisition , in whatever ...
... neutral ' or merely ' technical ' . I shall demonstrate that what practices are taught and how they are imparted depends upon the nature of the social formation . The skills and concepts that accompany literacy acquisition , in whatever ...
Page 7
... neutral , objective description ' and argue that the basis of this argument is the by now familiar assumptions regarding literacy and its relationship to ' objectivity ' ( 1982 ) . I cite recent work in sociolinguistics ( Stubbs , 1980 ...
... neutral , objective description ' and argue that the basis of this argument is the by now familiar assumptions regarding literacy and its relationship to ' objectivity ' ( 1982 ) . I cite recent work in sociolinguistics ( Stubbs , 1980 ...
Page 10
... neutral ' or in isola- tion . Vai literate practices may be usefully isolated from formal schooling , but they are embedded in other socialising practices and in the beliefs and customs which accompany them and give them meaning . The ...
... neutral ' or in isola- tion . Vai literate practices may be usefully isolated from formal schooling , but they are embedded in other socialising practices and in the beliefs and customs which accompany them and give them meaning . The ...
Page 11
... neutral ' is itself part of the attempt by ruling groups to assert social control over the potentially disruptive lower orders . School- ing and the techniques for teaching literacy are often forms of hegemony and it would be misleading ...
... neutral ' is itself part of the attempt by ruling groups to assert social control over the potentially disruptive lower orders . School- ing and the techniques for teaching literacy are often forms of hegemony and it would be misleading ...
Contents
The Autonomous Model I Literacy and Rationality | 19 |
The Autonomous Model II Goody | 44 |
Literacy and Linguistics | 66 |
The Ideological Model | 95 |
Introduction | 129 |
Maktab Literacy | 132 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract academic adult literacy ALBSU anthropologists appear argue argument associated assumptions attempt autonomous challenge Cheshmeh claims Clanchy classical Greece cognitive commercial communication concepts consequences of literacy context conventions culture described Dinka language economic English establish ethnocentric explicit fact forms of literacy framework functions Goody Goody's Graff Greenfield groups Hadith Hildyard and Olson ibid illiterate individual instance institutions intellectual involved Iran Iranian Islamic kind knowledge Koran learning linguistic literacy campaigns literacy practices literacy programmes literacy skills literate modes logic Lyons maktab Mashad meaning model of literacy mullah neutral Nicaragua non-literate objectivity oral and literate orchards organisation paralinguistic Parry particular political and ideological problems recognise relation represented scientific significant simply social society speech structure suggests tajers Tanzania teachers teaching theory tion tradition Unesco unschooled Vai script village western Wolof words written forms written language