Conflicting Paradigms in Adult Literacy Education: In Quest of a U.S. Democratic Politics of Literacy

Conflicting Paradigms in Adult Literacy Education: In Quest of a U.S. Democratic Politics of Literacy
George Demetrion | 2004-11-30 00:00:00 | Routledge | 320 | Education
The book provides a historical overview of adult literacy theory, policy, practice, and research from the mid-1980s to the present. The main focus is a descriptive analysis of three distinctive schools of literacy: the Freirean-based participatory literacy movement grounded in oppositional politics and grass-roots community activism; the British-based New Literacy Studies that focuses on the ways in which diverse students utilize various literacy practices in their daily lives; and the U.S. federal government's focus on functional literacy linked to a 45-year policy emphasis on workforce readiness. These three schools of thought lead to substantially different implications over such critical areas as curriculum, assessment and accountability, and the socio-cultural role of literacy, policy, and political culture, which are discussed throughout the chapters of the book. This discussion includes a chapter on research traditions that closely parallels these perspectives on literacy education.

Demetrion argues that unless values grounded ultimately in political culture emerge, it is exceedingly unlikely that the adult literacy field will be able to move from its current marginalized status toward that of achieving the level of public and policy legitimacy many believe it needs for its long-term institutional flourishing. It is argued that any settlement of this issue must be accomplished in the field of practice rather than the ground of theory, even as theoretical insight can help to frame the issues.

Conflicting Paradigms in Adult Literacy Education: In Quest of a U.S. Democratic Politics of Literacy speaks to a wide audience, including not only the adult literacy community, but anyone interested in educational theory, practice, policy, research traditions, or political culture, and more fundamentally, in their intersection. Given the breadth of the topics covered, as well as the broad scope of the argument, the book is also meant for those who would like to gain a useful perspective on contemporary U.S. culture, through the window of these conflicting tensions within the field of adult literacy education.
Reviews
Demetrion offers us a genealogy of and emerging, conflicted and underfunded literacy field over the past 30 plus years. It is a Genealogy, rather than a history because Demetrion doesn't just offer a chronological list of events, but rather describes the contest between conflicting forces that shaped those events. Demetrion also relates conflicts of assessemnt and accountability, and an attempt by the "Equipped for the Future" project to create a middle ground view on assessemnt and pedagogy for the field. Finally Demetrion offers a possible vision for the field grounded in American democratic founding principles.



The book is a must for literacy students, workers, and anyone interested in becoming familiar with the field. It is not an easy book, requiring time and effort. But it is purposeful, well organized, thought provoking and a satisfying read. It is also instructive about pedagogy, assessment and it has a very strong Dewey inclination.
Reviews
This book details the rise of the adult literacy field--more money, more legislative interest, more advocacy, since A Nation At Risk. Demetrion sparks interest through inclusion of ongoing list serv debates from the National Institute for Literacy list servs. Those involved in this field (as I am) care passionately about giving a boost to low literate adults through classes and methods that increase their skills. Coming as it does during the culture wars, much of the debate is political--from the goals for adult literacy, to curriculum, to ultimate purposes: democratic access to printed documents and laws, or utilitarian focus on job skills. This book should appeal especially to those who look at the world through a political lens.
Reviews
The book was interesting and very helpful. He went into enough detail so that I understood the background and history so that his conclusions made a lot of sense.
Reviews
This historical review of adult education over the last 20 years provides a convincing argument for a stronger commitment to democracy in society-at-large. The audience is adult educators, educational policy makers, legislators, college students, and librarians.

Adult literacy has become hostage to a workforce model. Librarians who work with literacy providers may wonder why literacy is not a central policy focus. In George Demetrion's clear and insightful book, Conflicting Paradigms in Adult Literacy Education: In Quest of a U.S. Democratic Politics of Literacy, the workforce readiness model prevalent in the U.S. is explained. I have found this approach inimical, for the most part, to the librarians' commitment to human capabilities. Demetrion helps us all to learn that there are alternative models and gives us the intellectual tools to implement them-- if we have the will.

I will be using this text as recommended for my classes on adult lifelong learning.

Download this book!

Free Ebooks Download