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 71
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... nature of literacy . It is assumed that we ' know ' what literacy is and can therefore appeal to it in the resolution of more uncertain areas of knowledge . Many western academics , for instance , in claiming objec- tivity , neutrality ...
... nature of literacy . It is assumed that we ' know ' what literacy is and can therefore appeal to it in the resolution of more uncertain areas of knowledge . Many western academics , for instance , in claiming objec- tivity , neutrality ...
Page 1
... nature of the social formation . The skills and concepts that accompany literacy acquisition , in whatever form , do not stem in some automatic way from the inherent qualities of literacy , as some authors would have us believe , but ...
... nature of the social formation . The skills and concepts that accompany literacy acquisition , in whatever form , do not stem in some automatic way from the inherent qualities of literacy , as some authors would have us believe , but ...
Page 2
... nature of such practices . The model stresses the significarce of the socialisation process in the construction of the meaning of literacy for participants and is therefore concerned with the general social institutions through which ...
... nature of such practices . The model stresses the significarce of the socialisation process in the construction of the meaning of literacy for participants and is therefore concerned with the general social institutions through which ...
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... nature of which is more clearly dependent on the cultural context . 2 From this and other literature it can be argued that the ' rationality ' debate is itself embedded in particular ideological and political con- texts . The ...
... nature of which is more clearly dependent on the cultural context . 2 From this and other literature it can be argued that the ' rationality ' debate is itself embedded in particular ideological and political con- texts . The ...
Page 6
... nature of religious and political ideology in those societies . Clammer's work on Fiji , for instance , assumes uncritically many of the tenets of the ' autonomous ' model of literacy and illustrates what this can lead to for the unwary ...
... nature of religious and political ideology in those societies . Clammer's work on Fiji , for instance , assumes uncritically many of the tenets of the ' autonomous ' model of literacy and illustrates what this can lead to for the unwary ...
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