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 6
... explicit anthropological as- sumptions on which their studies otherwise claim to be based . Clammer's own later work in fact rejects these assumptions and represents an import- ant example of the shift towards the ' ideological ' model ...
... explicit anthropological as- sumptions on which their studies otherwise claim to be based . Clammer's own later work in fact rejects these assumptions and represents an import- ant example of the shift towards the ' ideological ' model ...
Page 7
... explicitly . I examine in this light claims by John Lyons that English is different from a great many other languages in ... explicit alter- native model of the kind I describe as the ' ideological ' model of literacy . However , work ...
... explicitly . I examine in this light claims by John Lyons that English is different from a great many other languages in ... explicit alter- native model of the kind I describe as the ' ideological ' model of literacy . However , work ...
Page 8
... explicit the challenge to the theories which I have collectively labelled as the ' autonomous ' model , although they do not necessarily address it in those terms . I argue that the application of those terms enables us to see more ...
... explicit the challenge to the theories which I have collectively labelled as the ' autonomous ' model , although they do not necessarily address it in those terms . I argue that the application of those terms enables us to see more ...
Page 9
... explicit . I maintain that an analysis of his work in terms of the models of literacy that I have outlined exposes and helps to resolve contradictions which Goody himself has not so far con- fronted . Within social psychology too there ...
... explicit . I maintain that an analysis of his work in terms of the models of literacy that I have outlined exposes and helps to resolve contradictions which Goody himself has not so far con- fronted . Within social psychology too there ...
Page 14
... explicit what often lies embedded in both the theoretical work and the campaign practice . What is taken as the ' Unesco view ' of literacy has been strongly chal- lenged in the work of P. Freire and his followers ( Freire , 1978 ; cf ...
... explicit what often lies embedded in both the theoretical work and the campaign practice . What is taken as the ' Unesco view ' of literacy has been strongly chal- lenged in the work of P. Freire and his followers ( Freire , 1978 ; cf ...
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