Cultural Meanings of Literacy. Literacy Lessons.

Autor/in	Street, Brian V.
Institution	International Bureau of Education, Geneva (Switzerland).
Titel	Cultural Meanings of Literacy. Literacy Lessons.
Quelle	(1990), (17 Seiten)Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Adult Basic Education; Adult Literacy; Cultural Awareness; Cultural Background; Cultural Context; Cultural Differences; Developing Nations; Economic Development; Educational Needs; Educational Philosophy; Educational Theories; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Literacy Education; Program Development; India; Iran; United Kingdom (England) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Adult; Adults; Education; Adult education; Erwachsenenbildung; Cultural identity; Kulturelle Identität; Kultureller Unterschied; Developing country; Developing countries; Entwicklungsland; Wirtschaftsentwicklung; Educational need; Bildungsbedarf; Bildungsphilosophie; Erziehungsphilosophie; Educational theory; Theory of education; Bildungstheorie; Ausland; Programmplanung; Indien
Abstract	A number of counter-assumptions can be posited to challenge the usual basic assumptions of the professional literacy establishment. These counter-assumptions include the following: (1) literacy is not just a technical skill neutral across all cultures; (2) culture refers to basic questions about truth and knowledge and varies from one society to another; (3) most people in the contemporary world have some acquaintance with literacy--there is a continuum of literacy rather than a dichotomy between the literate and the illiterate; (4) the recipients of literacy campaigns are not blank slates--they have knowledge and opinions; (5) the cultural context of literacy campaigns should be assessed according to a society's views of what is knowledge and not be imposed from outside; and (6) literacy campaigns always involve power relations that need to be considered if they are to be successful. Implications of these counter-assumptions can be examined in recent accounts of literacy in early modern England. Some examples of culture contact and literacy can also be seen in Iran and India. Contradicting traditional autonomous models of literacy, recent research finds that the association of literacy with social mobility and economic progress is not borne out. Literacy and orality are no longer considered separate, but a mix of skills. Such new thinking about literacy campaigns can be applied to those of the 1990s. (KC)
Anmerkungen	International Bureau of Education, P.O. Box 199, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC