Local literacies : reading and writing in one community

330 Pages·2012·20.15 MB·English

by  David Barton

LOCAL LITERACIES
Praise for the original edition:
‘One of the best books on literacy I have read in my career. I can see myself going back to
this book again and again, learning more each time I read it ... You can’t leave the book
without new insights about the nature of literacy in people’s lives.’
David Bloome, Vanderbilt University, USA
‘A classic text in New Literacy Studies, Local Literacies is used all over the world and provides
both a methodological model and an example of the enactment of this model.’
Elsa Auerbach, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
‘Undoubtedly a classic text, Local Literacies has helped students, staff and the general public
alike understand the far reaching implications of the term “literacy”.’
Alexander Barratta, University of Manchester, UK
Local Literacies is a unique detailed study of the role of reading and writing in people’s
everyday lives. By concentrating on a selection of people in a particular community in
Lancaster, England, the authors analyse how they use literacy in their day-to-day lives. It
follows four people in detail examining how they use local media, their participation in
public life, the role of literacy in family activities and in leisure pursuits. Links are made
between everyday learning and education. The study is based on an ethnographic approach
to studying everyday activities and is framed in the theory of literacy as a social practice.
This Routledge Linguistics Classic includes a new foreword by Deborah Brandt and a new
framing chapter, in which David Barton and Mary Hamilton look at the connections
between local and global activities, interfaces with institutional literacies, and the growing

significance of digital literacies in everyday life.
A seminal text, Local Literacies provides an explicit usable methodology for both teachers
and researchers, and clear theorising around a set of six propositions. Clearly written and
engaging, this is a deeply absorbing study and is essential reading for all those involved in
literacy and literacy education.
David Barton is Professor of Language and Literacy and Director of the Literacy Research
Centre at Lancaster University, UK. He is series editor of the Routledge Literacies series and
author and co-editor of numerous titles including Literacy, Lives and Learning (2007).
Mary Hamilton is Professor of Adult Learning and Literacy and Associate Director of
the Literacy Research Centre at Lancaster University, UK. She is the author of Literacy and
the Politics of Representation (forthcoming).
LOCAL LITERACIES
Reading and writing in one community
David Barton and Mary Hamilton
First published 1998 by Routledge
First published in Routledge Linguistics Classics 2012
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 1998, 2012 David Barton and Mary Hamilton
The right of David Barton and Mary Hamilton to be identified as authors of
this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without
intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Barton, David, 1949–
Local literacies : reading and writing in one community / David Barton and
Mary Hamilton.
p. cm. – (Routledge linguistics classics)
Originally published: London : Routledge, 1998.
Includes index.
1. Literacy – Social aspects – England – Lancaster – Case studies. 2. Sociolinguistics –
England – Lancaster – Case studies. I. Hamilton, Mary, 1949– II. Title.
LC156.G72E53 2012
302.2′2440942769–dc23
2011037522
ISBN: 978–0–415–69172–7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978–0–415–69174–1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978–0–203–12510–6 (ebk)
Typeset in Baskerville
by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
CONTENTS
Listofasides zx
Listoffigures xz
Forewordl7yDeborahBrandt xzz
~u ~
Introduction:localliteraciesin a globalworld xvu
Literacy studies xvii
Livinginthelinguisticlandscape xx
ThechangingprofileofLancaster xxii
Vernacularpracticesinthevirtualciry xxiii
Local,globalandglocal xxvi
New.frameworksforenquiry:developmentsintheoryandmethodology xxvu
Literaciesforlearning xxviii
In conclusion xxix
PART I
1 Understandingliteracyassocialpractice 3
Introduction 3
A socialtheory ofliteracy:practicesandevents 6
Studiesofcommunityliteracy 13
17teorisinglocalsocialrelations 15
Theories ofculture 18
1nepublicnarrativeon literacy 20
2 Locapngliteraciesintimeandspace:
(1)ahistoryofliteracyinLancaster 23
A timeandaplace:Lancaster, England 23
William StoutofLancaster, 1665-1752 24
v
CONTENTS
The nineteenth century 27
History ofeducation 32
3 Locatingliteraciesintimeandspace: (2) Lancastertoday 36
Lancastertoday 36
A socialprofile 38
The visualliteracy environment 40
Contemporary institutionsofliteracy 43
A senseofplace 46
Springside 47
1990andthe1990s 55
4 Ethnographyinpractice 57
Introduction 57
Thedata 59
Analysisandwriting 67
lVhatcan belearnedfrom an ethnographicstudyofliteracy 72
PART 11
5 Howthey'vefaredineducation:Harry'sliteracypractices 77
Harry'sliteracy historyandliteracy life 78
Rulingpassions 83
Educatedanduneducated 85
Fiction, truth andreality 90
6 Gettingthingsdoneinthe community: Shirley'sliteracy
practices 93
Shirley'sliteracy historyandliteracy life 94
Rulingpassions:fightinginjustice, makingchanges 100
Dyslexia, homeandschool 101
Editingtheresidents'association newsletter:linkingpublic
andprivate 105
7 Livinga locallife:June'sliteracypractices 112
June's literacy life 115
Livingalocallife 119
Usingmedia 123
vi
CONTENTS
8 Leisureandpleasure: Cliff'sliteracypractices 129
Cliff'sliteracyhistoryandliteracy life 131
Cliff'srulingpassion:leisureandpleasurein life 135
Sharinglivesandbeingacommittedparent 142
Ill-health anddepression 144
PART III
9 Everyday literacies: (1) therange ofpractices 149
Diversity 149
Writingin thehome 150
Everydayreading 152
Values, moralsandcensorship 158
Literacydifficultiesin daily life 159
Booksinpeople'slives 162
10 Everydayliteracies: (2) thepatterningofpractices 170
Thegenderingofhomepractices 170
Homenumeracypractices 176
Multilingualliteraciesathome 182
11 Home,learningandeducation 188
Borderlands 188
Learningin thehome 190
Literacy, homeandschool 190
Relationswitheducation 198
12 Thewebofliteraciesinlocalorganisations 208
Localgroupsandorganisations 208

TheAllotmentAssociation 213
Literacyinsocialparticipation: theannualgeneralmeeting 214
Literacyin socialaction: theallotmentsfight 217
TheHousingActionProjectandtheresidents'association 222
Literaciesingroups 224
13 Becomingexpert:literacyandsensemaking 231
Introduction 231
Becomingexpert 231
Vernacularknowledge 241
vu
CONTENTS
14 Vernacularliteracies 247
Vernacularpractices 247
Definingvernacularliteracies 251
The textsofeveryday life 257
Vernacularpracticesin atimeofchange 259
15 Mterword 2-63
APPENDICES
1 PeopleinterviewedintheLiteracyintheCommunity
project 269
2 TopicscoveredintheLiteracyintheCommunityinterview 274
3 Metaphorsfor theresearchprocess 275
4 Researchintopractice 279
Bibliography 284
Indexofinformants 293
Index 295

Vlll
ASIDES
0.1 Thecornershop XXI
1.1 Literacyassocialpractice 7
1.2 Cookingliteracy 8
2.1 Learningto read andwritein the seventeenth century 26
2.2 Everydayliteracyatthe beginningofthe twentiethcentury 28
2.3 Literacyrates in the eighteenth and nineteenthcenturies 32
3.1 Ahousefor salein Springside 49
3.2 1990inLancaster 52
3.3 Findingoutlocalinformation 54
4.1 Summaryofdatacollected 59
4.2 Home, family, household, neighbourhood, community 61
4.3 Confidentiality, anonymityandvoice 63
4.4 Whatethnographicinterviewsofferas a research tool 64
5.1 Harry's pen-sketch 78
5.2 Writingon aslate 79
5.3 Myeducationwas nil 79
5.4 Learningatwork 80
5.5 Reading in the library 80
5.6 Helpingotherswithwriting 82
5.7 Diarynotes: Harryin the library 85
5.8 Sagaofthe Lan dingShip 86
5.9 Quoteson education byHarry 87
5.10 Imagination andreading 91
6.1 The petition 93
6.2 Shirley: howotherssee me 95
6.3 Fieldnotes: firstvisitto Shirley's house 96
6.4 Shirley: keyfigure in the community 97
6.5 Familytraditionsofreading 99
6.6 Shirley: helpingout 100
6.7 Shirley: mylifeischanging 101
6.8 Dealingwith dyslexia 103
6.9 Dyslexiaas a culturalbelief 104
IX
LOCALLITERACIES
6.10 The textworldofShirley'seditorials 108
7.1 Thefirstanti-pall-taxmarch inLancaster 113
7.2 Doingthe accounts 116
7.3 Buyingcardsfor the boss 118
7.4 The route into town 121
7.5 Fieldnotesonmendingthevacuumcleaner 125
7.6 The nationalcontexton usesofmediain the home 126
8.1 Writing to Ken Dodd 129
8.2 Cliffspen-sketch 132
8.3 Beingafan 137
8.4 Learningbettingliteracy 141
9.1 Nationalfigures onnewspaperreadership 154
9.2 Nationalfigures onmagazinesand comics 157
9.3 The secretfile 160
9.4 Theextentofadults' problemswith readingandwriting
in the UK 163
9.5 Bookreadingandbuying 166
9.6 Communityliteracyand nationallibraryusage 168
10.1 Computersin the home 181
11.1 Helpingwith the homework 201
11.2 Nickingoff 203
11.3 Teachingmyselfto read 206
12.1 Some localgroupsin Lancaster 210
12.2 Strategies,resourcesand texts: elementsofliteracy
practices 221
13.1 Martialarts 238

x