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 47
Page
... represented as ' neutral ' when made with regard to literacy . The appar- ent ' technical ' qualities of literacy thus disguise the cultural bias in some of these kinds of research . This has practical implications too , since claims ...
... represented as ' neutral ' when made with regard to literacy . The appar- ent ' technical ' qualities of literacy thus disguise the cultural bias in some of these kinds of research . This has practical implications too , since claims ...
Page 2
... represented in terms of economic ' take off or in terms of cognitive skills . An influential example of the former representation is the claim by Anderson ( 1966 ) that a society requires a 40 % literacy rate for economic ' take off , a ...
... represented in terms of economic ' take off or in terms of cognitive skills . An influential example of the former representation is the claim by Anderson ( 1966 ) that a society requires a 40 % literacy rate for economic ' take off , a ...
Page 6
... represents an import- ant example of the shift towards the ' ideological ' model ( 1980 ) . A re- analysis of some of the material on cargo cults in terms of the ' ideological ' model of literacy rather than the ' autonomous ' model is ...
... represents an import- ant example of the shift towards the ' ideological ' model ( 1980 ) . A re- analysis of some of the material on cargo cults in terms of the ' ideological ' model of literacy rather than the ' autonomous ' model is ...
Page 8
... represented in the work of a number of writers . The writers I cite are identified with a range of disci- plines and , significantly , many of them have themselves consciously at- tempted to cross disciplinary boundaries . Within the ...
... represented in the work of a number of writers . The writers I cite are identified with a range of disci- plines and , significantly , many of them have themselves consciously at- tempted to cross disciplinary boundaries . Within the ...
Page 11
... represents a significant challenge to the ideas about literacy that have been generally accepted until recently and provides the essential starting point from which to construct an alternative approach . Section 2 : Literacy in Theory ...
... represents a significant challenge to the ideas about literacy that have been generally accepted until recently and provides the essential starting point from which to construct an alternative approach . Section 2 : Literacy in Theory ...
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 |
Other editions - View all
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