Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h33MS9U28158; Thu, 3 Apr 2003 17:28:09 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 17:28:09 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <1B52D31E.1D6041B0.0AB94E44@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: AndresMuro@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:94] Re: process & positionality X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Atlas Mailer 2.0 Status: O Content-Length: 3119 Lines: 70 Agreed. Can we be relevant to literacy please. >Tom Z We are. Literacy is about "reading the word in the world". Words are tied to contexts. Let me explain. Saussure explained that words are signs containing a signifier and a signified. What we signify is the image that you get in your head when you hear or read a word (signifier). For example, if I say or read "car", you will get an image in your head of a car. If I say "tree" you will also see an image. The image that you will get is not the image of the "ultimate" "transcendental" car or tree. It is a learned image that comes from your cultural context. So, in learning a language, we begin to internalize the cultural values of a community and we begin to learn the dominant cultural values. The words "tree" and "car" are pretty tamed. However, words such as Arab, Mexican, black, woman or gay carry a lot of cultural baggage. Depending who you are, culturally, the images that you see when you hear these words can be very different. In these terms, literacy is not just teaching people to decode, but to explore meanings and to understand the power of language within communities. Once you understand this, you realize that you cannot separate literacy from culture and politics. Andres In a message dated 4/3/2003 1:49:40 PM Eastern Standard Time, tom zurinskas <tzurinskas@yahoo.com> writes: >Agreed. Can we be relevant to literacy please. >Tom Z > >--- AWilder106@aol.com wrote: >> Colleagues, >> >> I don't easily see how a discussion of sexuality >> emerges from a class on adult literacy or in staff >> development. >> >> I can understand how racism would, particularly from >> Lou Johnson's piece in FOB, also domestic violence, >> which makes learning difficult (neurologically, >> socially), but sexuality? >> >> Please give me some simple steps to understand this. >> The topic comes up on other list servs, too. >> >> By the way, I taught small children to 20 year olds >> for many years, trained teachers, was an >> administrator, I now work for a local family >> foundation, and I am trying to understand many >> aspects of this complicated field. >> >> Back to Lou Johnson's piece: the literacy program >> he describes >> came into being particularly because of racism--its >> initial purpose: To teach literacy so a group of >> black public housing residents could learn how to >> read government documents. So the *purpose* of the >> program may be integral to the direction the program >> takes. I can't make the jump to a discussion of >> sexuality *even though* many homosexual people live >> closeted lives--which is a social justice issue, and >> I know that. >> >> Thanks for helping me out. >> >> Andrea Wilder >> > > >===== >Read all about truespel at truespel.com. >Convert text to truespel USA accent by copy/pasting it at: http://www.foreignword.com/dictionary/truespel/transpel.htm > >__________________________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more >http://tax.yahoo.com > -- go here: www.geocities.com/andresmuro/art.html
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