Young_Sponsoring Literacy Studies

Overview of Literacy Studies

  • Transformation of literacy studies over 40 years.

  • Shift from cognitive perspectives to social and cultural contexts.

  • Impact of digital technologies on literacy practices.

Foundational Scholars

  • Key figures in the field of literacy studies:

    • Harvey Graff

    • Brian Street

    • Shirley Brice Heath

    • Anne Ruggles Gere

    • Jacqueline Jones Royster

    • Deborah Brandt

  • Contributions include broadening understanding of literacy practices, contexts, and purposes.

Concept of Sponsorship in Literacy Studies

  • Sponsorship Defined:

    • According to Deborah Brandt, sponsors are agents that:

      • Enable, support, teach, model literacy

      • Recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy

      • Gain advantages from literacy actions.

  • Importance of sponsorship in conceptualizing literacy dynamics.

  • Sponsorship provides opportunities for literacy development.

Narratives of Literacy

  • Personal Experience:

    • Reflection on how foundational scholars sponsored personal academic growth.

    • Influence of reading works by Graff and Brandt during graduate studies.

  • Examples of foundational studies:

    • Harvey Graff's critique of literacy myths:

      • Challenges the notion of a singular, measurable literacy standard.

      • Explores the historical context's role in understanding literacy.

    • Brian Street's ideological model of literacy:

      • Contrasts autonomous (technical) literacy with ideological (contextual) literacy.

      • Emphasizes literacy practices shaped by cultural and power structures.

The Influence of Ethnographic Studies

  • Shift from totalizing narratives to context-specific studies in the 1970s.

  • Significance of Shirley Brice Heath's work:

    • Examines literacy within the context of community and culture.

    • Highlights diverse purposes and forms of literacy beyond educational frameworks.

Continued Social Focus in Literacy Studies

  • Explore contemporary contributions:

    • Anne Ruggles Gere: The role of women's clubs in cultural literacy work (1880–1920).

    • Jacqueline Jones Royster: Examines the rhetorical practices of 19th-century African American women.

    • Deborah Brandt: Analysis of literacy’s role in individuals’ lives across generations in "Literacy in American Lives."

  • These studies highlight the importance of specific contexts for understanding literacy.

Personal Reflection on Sponsorship

  • Discussing the personal impact of foundational scholars:

    • Addressing how their work redefined perceptions of marginalized communities.

    • Emphasizing the importance of mentorship and personal connections in academia.

  • Understanding literacy as a socially situated practice, with an emphasis on underexamined areas.

Conclusion

  • Acknowledges the generosity of scholars in contributing to personal growth.

  • Calls for recognizing both grand narratives and personal stories in literacy studies.

  • Highlights the importance of relationships in sponsoring literacy research within and outside academic spaces.