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
Page 2
... meaning of literacy for participants and is therefore concerned with the general social institutions through which this process takes place and not just the explicit ' educational ' ones . It distinguishes claims for the consequences of ...
... meaning of literacy for participants and is therefore concerned with the general social institutions through which this process takes place and not just the explicit ' educational ' ones . It distinguishes claims for the consequences of ...
Page 4
... meaning which does not change over time and space is not proven . The ' meaning ' of texts lost for years and then rediscovered ( Popper's World Three ) in fact depends upon the learnt conventions of the discoverer's society . 7 The ...
... meaning which does not change over time and space is not proven . The ' meaning ' of texts lost for years and then rediscovered ( Popper's World Three ) in fact depends upon the learnt conventions of the discoverer's society . 7 The ...
Page 7
... meaning , on which Lyons ' arguments appear to rest , and which thus challenges also the ' autonomous ' model of literacy . This brings me back to the work of David Olson , and I examine in the context of these linguistic theories the ...
... meaning , on which Lyons ' arguments appear to rest , and which thus challenges also the ' autonomous ' model of literacy . This brings me back to the work of David Olson , and I examine in the context of these linguistic theories the ...
Page 8
... meaning of literacy depends upon the social institu- tions in which it is embedded ; 2 literacy can only be known to us in forms which already have political and ideological significance and it cannot , therefore , be helpfully separ ...
... meaning of literacy depends upon the social institu- tions in which it is embedded ; 2 literacy can only be known to us in forms which already have political and ideological significance and it cannot , therefore , be helpfully separ ...
Page 10
... meaning . The Vai mater- ial poses and highlights the basic sociological questions about literacy to which the ' ideological ' model of literacy addresses itself . Michael Clanchy , an historian , describes the shift from memory to ...
... meaning . The Vai mater- ial poses and highlights the basic sociological questions about literacy to which the ' ideological ' model of literacy addresses itself . Michael Clanchy , an historian , describes the shift from memory to ...
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