New Literacies re-conceptualizes the traditional idea of literacy as an acquisition of skill and instead focuses on “literacy as a social practice” (Street, 1985). The traditional view of literacy according to Street (2003) is framed in a deficit model which seeks to introduce “literacy to poor, ‘illiterate’ people, villages, urban youth etc.” in order to “enhance their cognitive skills, improve their economic prospects, make them better citizens regardless of the social and economic conditions that accounted for their illiteracy in the first place.” New Literacies throws a new understanding to what counts as literacies and whose literacies are dominant and whose are marginalized. Rather than just printed text, Street (2003) proposes that new literacies are about the ways in which people address reading and writing, and these are embedded in social practices.
New literacies shift from the traditional model of imposed western forms of literacy to other cultures or classes within a country. New literacies highlight an important notion that what is literacy is one context is different from another context, and even within the same country, it could be different among social classes.
To my understanding New Literacies rather than imposing what one thinks of literacy on another, studies and examines literacy practices within context in order to find ways of informing and improving how education is taught in the classroom (Knobel and Lankshear, 2014).
When I read Wohlwend’s (2009) article, I was reminded of a video I watch in a previous class last semester in which various women talked about the unrealistic portrayals of Disney princesses. When they were asked what they will do if they were asked to design Disney princesses they raised similar issues from the article. They would want a princess who is more involved in the action of the plot, and a princess who was not waiting for someone to save them but could save themselves. See video below:
The idea of New Literacies is tied to identity and power. The Damsels in Discourse article and the video above are examples of how literacies shape one's identity performance and the implied power of that identity. I had a question that may or may not complicate things a bit. I was wondering what people thought of how Erikson's 8 stages of psychosocial development applied to these children in Wohlwend’s (2009) article. Erikson describes a third stage that happens between 3 to 6 years (the age range of the children in our reading) and this stage is called Initiative vs Guilt. The theory from my understanding explains that children at this age initiate and assert control over their world through social interactions and play (See Erikson's Theory).
Now I wonder how much this theory applies to how the children in Wohlwend’s (2009) article re-author the princesses in the world of Disney Princesses. Because if this theory is right, it is not that Disney princesses are the problem or that these children want more "active" Disney Princesses but rather they are at the stage where they want to assert control over their world and that is why they may alter the identity performances of the princesses in their pretend play world.
Now I wonder how much this theory applies to how the children in Wohlwend’s (2009) article re-author the princesses in the world of Disney Princesses. Because if this theory is right, it is not that Disney princesses are the problem or that these children want more "active" Disney Princesses but rather they are at the stage where they want to assert control over their world and that is why they may alter the identity performances of the princesses in their pretend play world.
When I was reading the articles this week, I remembered a phenomenon I have seen in different countries but in Ghana as well. Trotros (a means of public transportation) and taxis in Ghana often have signs and inscriptions on their back windscreens. I had not thought about this before as a literacy practice trotro and taxi drivers usually engage in but this week’s reading brought that to mind. These inscriptions are often written or produced by people who the traditional view of literacy would term as ‘illiterate’ but this practice of inscribing trotros and taxis demonstrates the form of knowledge that these ‘illiterates’ possess. Sometimes the inscriptions have grammatical errors which serve as comic relief for onlookers, however, the inscriptions are produced from knowledge these trotro and taxi drivers uphold as valuable to them. Although this form of literacy may be considered non-standard by the educated, many would attest to the powerful cultural truths these inscriptions highlight in the Ghanaian society. I could argue that producing these literacies (texts) are a way for trotro and taxi drivers to resist the norms of what is considered 'educated' or standard writings or texts. I would that they also portray trotro and taxi drivers as literate. See examples below:
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| "Observers are worried" |
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| God First |
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| "Road to success Full of potholes" |
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| "Fa asem kye" meaning "forgive" |
Edwin,
ReplyDeleteYour post really has me thinking about Erikson's stages of development and wondering about your statement that it's not that "Disney princess are the the problem or that these children want more 'active' Disney Princesses but rather they are at the stage where they want to assert control over their world and that is why they may alter the identity performances of the princesses in their pretend play world." I think there is something to be said about children coming to push boundaries and explore during this "stage" of development. What I think is limiting here is that when we define children being in this "stage" for 3 years, what happens after that? Then would it become important to know if the student's continue to resist the dominant princess ideologies? When does that start/stop? IF a parent were to create a separate story around a princess that included lots of agency, would we be to assume that the child would demonstrate initiative by resisting an active role? Or might that active role just look differently?
Edwin, I love your post so much. I don't know where to even start. From your summary of NLS's view of literacy of a social practice (Street, 1995) to your trotros and taxis photos--it makes me so happy to be your classmate and to be learning from you. Your photos reminded me of Filipino jeepneys. When you mention "New Literacies throws a new understanding to what counts as literacies and whose literacies are dominant and whose are marginalized" (Bonney, 2018), you gave me a renewed realization on the importance of new literacies. As a practitioner, I have been struggling recently with my districts swing toward a more traditional skills based approach to literacy development where I have had my world view extended toward more of an NLS stance of understanding that traditional instruction does not meet the needs of students who are experiencing such an array of literacy changes at such lightning speed. It has been quite the struggle, and your post reminded me that I entered this program to be an ally for those who are marginalized and to bring to light the legitimacy of literacy practices in their varied forms which might currently be shadowed or discounted.
ReplyDeleteEdwin,
ReplyDeleteYour discussion and video of the Disney Princesses reminded me of one of my sister's attempts to exclude Disney Princesses from my nieces lives. When visiting my nieces I mentioned something about The Little Mermaid and my sister shushed me up. She said "those movies and stories" were not appropriate for her girls for many of the same reasons Wohlwend (2009) discusses in her article (dependent, passive, waiting for a prince to save them). But my nieces knew all about the characters and their storylines. I don't think they every played those identities at home but the princess identity was still part of their own. I am also not sure the princess identity is just a little girl identity either. Not that I watch a lot of reality television, but when I see advertisements for certain reality shows, some of the people on those shows are enacting the princess identity. Also, in the figured world of heterosexual dating and romance there is still that idea that a man should treat a woman like a princess. This thought, I am sure, has been sedimented because of the Disney Princesses.
~Sarah
Edwin,
ReplyDeleteYour video was a perfect connection to the article surrounding Disney princesses. Our worlds creates so many ideas of how life is supposed to be and how do we find self within these "ideas"? Now that I am raising a daughter (who is obsessed with princesses) I try very hard to address her in other ways such as, "there is my creative writer!" but still it seems like I'm trying hard to not say to her how beautiful she is because that is what I see. I want her confidence to be independent from my terminology and what society produces. NLS provides us the opportunity to begin to resist the social norm of literacies and begin to find ways to interact with children outside the "norm".
Edwin,
ReplyDeleteThank you, once again, for a most insightful post. I would like to begin with your question/statement about whether or not "Disney princess are the the problem or that these children want more 'active' Disney Princesses but rather they are at the stage where they want to assert control over their world and that is why they may alter the identity performances of the princesses in their pretend play world." As the mom of a four-year-old daughter who is very enamored with Disney princesses, I suppose this is a pertinent question or maybe concern.
Thinking back to Activity Theory and identity as a social construct, I am inclined to believe that Disney princesses and their inaccurate, stereotypical, and racist portrayal of an unrealistic ideal of a princess can be very powerful and serve as artifacts that may work to pivot young girls into unrealistic figured worlds and in turn identification of self in troubling ways. Wohlwend (2009) speaks about this when she states "identity messages circulate through merchandise that surrounds young consumers as they dress in, sleep on, bathe in, eat from, and play with commercial goods decorated with popular culture images, print, and logos, immersing children in products that invite identification with familiar gendered expectations about what children should buy, how they should play, and who they should be" (London Group, 1996; Wohlwend, 2009, p. 57). Given the extent of the immersion and exposure, despite my or other's best efforts to avert such, my four-year-old is forming many of these identities and ideas within worlds that I don't play. My question is then, how do I work to create counter narratives or spaces with counter identities that will be accepted by her and her peers? Because ultimately, thinking back to figured worlds - doesn't it rely on buy in? If she's not buying what they are selling - i.e. resistance, then I guess that's good. I am not sure, but I am working on it.