Living without "gelerendheid": a study of the discourses and literacy practices of literacy class learner and "resisters" in Ocean View

Breier, Mignonne

Living without "gelerendheid": a study of the discourses and literacy practices of literacy class learner and "resisters" in Ocean View

Thesis / Dissertation

1994

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

School of Education

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

This research attempted to find out why certain adults in Ocean View, who could be regarded as illiterate, attended literacy classes and others, who could also be regarded as illiterate or semi-literate, did not. It made use of the ethnographic research methods of life history interviews and participant observation to develop an account of the discourses of five literacy teachers and the discourses and literacy practices of seven adults who attended their classes (called the learners) and six who could have attended basic education classes but did not (called the resisters). The research revealed a certain compatibility between the discourses of the teachers and learners' which would probably not have existed between the discourses of the teachers and resisters. This was despite the fact that there were aspects of primary Discourse that were common to all. The compatibility had to do with the teachers and learners' desire and ability to separate primary and secondary Discourses at times, for the purposes of church attendance and literacy class participation. The resisters discourses and practices showed no such separation. In general they appeared to have a more integrated approach to the acquisition of secondary Discourse than the learners. There was also a discourse about retardation which was prevalent among health professionals in the community which contributed to the stigmatization of the literacy class and resistance to it.

Keywords

Education

Reference:

Collections

Masters

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