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. |
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... tion ' in cognitive skills , which might appear to be culture - based and even ethnocentric when applied to native language and speech , can more easily be represented as ' neutral ' when made with regard to literacy . The appar- ent ...
... tion ' in cognitive skills , which might appear to be culture - based and even ethnocentric when applied to native language and speech , can more easily be represented as ' neutral ' when made with regard to literacy . The appar- ent ...
Page 2
... tion ' , individual liberty and social mobility . It attempts to distinguish literacy from schooling . It isolates literacy as an independent variable and then claims to be able to study its consequences . These conse- quences are ...
... tion ' , individual liberty and social mobility . It attempts to distinguish literacy from schooling . It isolates literacy as an independent variable and then claims to be able to study its consequences . These conse- quences are ...
Page 3
... tion to the underlying coherence and relationship of ideas which , on the surface , might appear unconnected and haphazard . No one practitioner necessarily adopts all of the characteristics of any one model , but the use of the concept ...
... tion to the underlying coherence and relationship of ideas which , on the surface , might appear unconnected and haphazard . No one practitioner necessarily adopts all of the characteristics of any one model , but the use of the concept ...
Page 9
... tion ' . Differences ' in levels of literacy and reading habits tend to spring from these arrangements rather than giving rise to them ' ( ibid . ) . History may be re - constructed in literate as well as in oral societies . The ...
... tion ' . Differences ' in levels of literacy and reading habits tend to spring from these arrangements rather than giving rise to them ' ( ibid . ) . History may be re - constructed in literate as well as in oral societies . The ...
Page 10
... 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 Vai mater- ial poses and ...
... 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 Vai mater- ial poses and ...
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