Abstract of

Political Acts: Literacy Learning and Teaching

Arlette Ingram Willis

Violet J. Harris

We believe that literacy learning is a human right. In this article, we offer a critique of the interwoven nature of politics and literacy learning and teaching throughout the twentieth century. We identify political acts, with variations, as interventions by those in positions of power and in government that determine how literacy is learned and taught. We have adopted a framework of political awareness to discuss some of the many political acts that have shaped literacy learning and teaching in this country, historically and contemporaneously. Our discussion of the intersection of politics and literacy focuses on four distinct areas: (a) the ideological view that has most influenced literacy research, (b) literacy instruction, (c) literacy materials, and (d) literacy assessment. Each of these sections ends with a series of queries and some suggestions for reconceptualizing how literacy is learned and taught in the next century. We offer no quick fixes or solutions. We hope that this article will serve as a starting point for conversations about the possibilities for developing more democratic and socially just literacy learning and teaching spaces.

Abstract from Willis, A., & Harris, V.J. (2000). Political Acts: Literacy Learning and Teaching. Reading Research Quarterly, 35(1), 72–88. doi: 10.1598/RRQ.35.1.6