Cultural and Historical Contexts for Literacy

Changes in English education -- and the needs on which those changes are based -- reflect changes in the larger society. For example, language and literacy are profoundly affected by economic and technological change, immigration, and ethnic minority groups' desires to retain some of their distinct characteristics within the American melting pot.

This research looked outside classroom walls to understand the role of home and community both in shaping literacy expectations and in supporting literacy development. This set of studies examined various aspects of literacy influences and acquisition within the community:

• One examined how literacy demands have changed in the twentieth century and captured that in
  -  Literacy in American Lives, Deborah Brandt (Cambridge University Press, 2001). See books.
  -  Literacy, Opportunity and Economic Change (Report, 1999)
  -  The Sponsors of Literacy (Report, 1997)
  -  Pursuing Literacy in the 20^th Century (Article, p. 2, English Update Newsletter, Winter 1998)

• A second studied the development of literacy by a "non-literate" immigrant community.
  -  Literacy and L'Armee Clandestine: The Writings of the Hmong Military Scribes (Article, Hmong Studies Journal, Volume Three, Winter 2000)
  -  Roots of a New American Literacy: Hmong Writing in Laos and the U.S. (Article, p. 3, English Update Newsletter, Spring 1998)
   
• And a third looked for the causes of Native American students' high post-secondary attrition rate:
  -  Telling Stories vs. Structuring Essays: Understanding Contrasting Rhetoric (Article, English Update Newsletter, Spring 1997)

June 5, 2007