LHA1192H
Governments, business and the media commonly point to Literacy as a solution to social and economic exclusion. In this story, people can overcome exclusion by becoming more Literate, that is, by acquiring the standardized, dominant language and literacy practices used in schools, government and the media. But recent international theories of adult literacy point in another direction, emphasizing the social, economic and creative importance of the multiple 'literacies' people use every day to sustain their lives and communities. Drawing on these theories, variously known as social practice theories, socio-cultural theories, or ''The New Literacy Studies'', this course explores how people actually use written texts, where, and with whom, and the implications of multiple literacies for building more inclusive communities.