Literacy: Harvest of Ideas

Barton, David and Mary Hamilton. Local Literacies: Reading and Writing in One Community. London; Routledge, 1998.
Farr, "En Los Dos Idiomas: Literacy Practices Among Chicago Mexicanos". Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Mahiri, Jabari, and Soraya Sablo "Writing for Their Lives: The Non-School Literacy of California's Urban African American Youth." Journal of Negro Education 65.2 (1996): 164.

The concept of "literacy" is a very complicated phenomenon. It is seemingly impossible to find scholars who are in complete unison regarding literacy, what it means, and how it is practiced. Literacy continues to be an esoteric abstract technology that, on occasion, provides a sense of familiarity. Throughout the work of many scholars there lies many corrugated ideas that mix to create an overwhelming sense of socially constructed literary principles. This week's readings offer an array of new information regarding literacy, and how it develops socially among individuals and minority groups.

As David Barton and Mary Hamilton proclaim in the introduction of their book, Local Literacies: Reading and Writing in One Community, literacy is definitely a social practice, and a valuable resource in building and maintaining a relationship within a community and/or social network. An example of this is found in Jabari Mahiri and Soraya Sablo's article, Writing for Their Lives: The Non-School Literacy of California's Urban African American Youth. Mahiri and Soraya observe a young African American boy, named Troy, who likes to write and rap his own lyrics. Not only does writing his raps create a great opportunity for Troy to utilize the literacy skills that lie dormant in school, he is also given a socially acceptable license to join a network or group called Realism. If Troy was allowed to incorporate his love for writing lyrics, within the education system, he will be much more eager to engage in customary literacy events. Part of Mahiri and Sablo's purpose is to find ways in which to channel non-school related literacy events into ideas that can be carried into the formal school setting. If Troy's teacher's can somehow converge his personal interest with their academic interests, the room for potential could be limitless.

Literacy is limitless. Barton and Hamilton assert that, "Literacy is a communal resource, utilized by families, by community groups, and by individuals" (5). This is one of the prevailing ideas among Mexicanos in Farr's En Los Dos Idiomas: Literacy Practices Among Chicago Mexicanos. Upon analyzing the practices of Chicago Mexicanos, Farr learns that one of the most important aspects of Mexicano culture is the idea of compadrazgo, or in laymans terms, a secure partnership that provides constant emotional and social support in order to survive. As a consequence of this unrelenting bond among Mexicanos, a social network is created, thereby creating the, "funds of knowledge" (28), in which the network of family and friends can rely on. One of the most astounding contributions to the fund, is that of literacy learning (reading and writing). Many of the individuals that are part of Farr's study did not receive formal education because of family obligations and/or availability of resources. As a result of these hardships, these individuals rely on the, "funds of knowledge" held by their compadrazgo to assist in learning to read and write. All of the adults within the social network that Farr identifies with are deemed literate, even though many of them did not receive formal schooling. They learned lirico (informally, from one person to the next) and were able to pursue individual goals because of this learned literacy.

Another way in which Mexicanos learned literacy was by teaching themselves to identify with texts. Barton and Hamilton focus on the correlation between literacy practices (how literacy is used) and literacy events (where literacy is used) that are refereed by written texts. According to Barton and Hamilton, the written word is of upmost importance when associated with literacy. Basically, text and literacy are intertwined, creating a give and take relationship. This is evident in one of the men that Farr observes. He specifically recalls relying on the text on cigarette boxes, in magazines and in comic books in order to teach himself to read. He said, "You see the letters and you say, well, this one is this one ... and you put them together ... and the day comes when you know all the letters" (21). Furthermore, back again to Troy, the writer/rapper. Although he prefers to rap his lyrics, he has a storage of texts within his head, that at any given moment, he can transcribe onto paper. The ability for him to engage in society with oral or written texts is part of why literacy is so multi-dimensional. In the same study, conducted by Mahiri and Sablo, a young African American girl named Keisha is introduced. She too, has a strong alliance with the written text. She penned her life's tragedies and triumphs, transforming each into their own literacy event, and then carried them with her wherever she went.

After this week's readings it is clear that there are several literacies within all of the domains of life (family, work, religion, education) that constantly structure social, and cultural practices. One of the familiar points is to grasp how literacy is truly a social concept. Whether it is a student relying on a teacher to facilitate an interesting learning environment, a compadre being able to trust the teachings of a fellow compadre, or even an oral thought relying upon a written text. One person or thing relies upon another, and all of these authors agree on one thing, literacy is a very complicated "social" phenomenon.

As a future educator, I found that all of these readings were extremely beneficial because they all stress the importance of having a social network. As a teacher, I hope that I can facilitate a strong social network among myself and my students, so young men like Troy are not left out of classroom activities. I will definitely encourage and promote all forms of writing and be open to constructive criticism, not only from fellow worker's, but also from my student's. I can relate to many aspects of this week's readings because Troy reminds me of my older brother and the entire article about Mexicanos is basically telling the story of my husband's parents, my children's grandparents. My brother has a five inch binder full of poetry and lyrics and each and every one is something special. He started writing when he was in high school. He was never a smart student and school did not come easy to him, but writing in his way, did. The term compadrazgo is exactly how my husband's family lives. Just yesterday, my father-in-law reached into the "fund of knowledge" and came over so that I could help him fill out his Disability Forms. It was surreal to see what I had just read, actually happening to me.

Questions for Discussion

What are your views of Troy's literacy practices? Do you think his forms of literacy are genuine?
What would you tell a girl like Keisha, if she were in your class?
I don't think the idea of the "fund of knowledge" is only for Mexicanos. Does anyone participate in something similar to this in their own culture?
What did you think of Barton's example of an everyday literacy event? Did you ever think that reading a recipe to bake a pie was so important?