Writing About Writing (p. 328-352)
Reading Response
“Sponsors of
Literacy” by Deborah Brandt
Summary:
In “Sponsors of Literacy,” Deborah
Brandt attempts to explain literacy, its history, and how there are influences
that form the way we learn and practice literacy. Brandt argues that the forces
that influence an individual’s literacy are sponsors
of literacy. Some “forces” that Brandt discusses are influential people
(such as parents, siblings, teachers, or mentors), culture, race, gender,
language and location, access to technology, and politics. Brandt described
several events in our history to help define what exactly a sponsor of literacy
is. She also interviewed several people to find their unique literacy history
and used them as examples in her writing. Varying ages, backgrounds, and
sponsors indicate that literacy changes with each generation and is a valued
commodity.
Brandt’s main focus was that
opportunities and access to sponsors vary and cause stratification in the
literacy of all people, that sponsors contribute to “the literacy crisis,” and
that sponsors can be a means of self-development and social change. The
availability of sponsors hinges on several factors and some people have more
access to better forces than others- thus diversity among literacy is created.
Brandt describes “the literacy crisis” as the gap between people’s ability to
reach literacy standards that are continually rising. Sponsors contribute to
the gap because of their participation in economic and political competition
and competition leads to more people being expected to do more reading and
writing. Brandt argues that literacy is misappropriated and that change in
individual literacy can relate to more big-picture changes. Brandt closes her
work, and summarizes it, by saying, “What I have tried to suggest is that as we
assist and study individuals in pursuit of literacy, we must also recognize how
literacy is in pursuit of them.” Sponsorship of literacy is unique to each
person.
What big-picture changes does Brandt refer to for misappropriation?
ReplyDeleteAn example would be Carol White, as she transferred her personal management techniques to work with Jehovah's Witnesses. Also, Sarah Steele demonstrated how larger literacies can "migrate and penetrate" into more private parts of life in the home. Basically, these big-picture changes occur when literacies intwine and introduce new ones.
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