Literacy and Globalization: Reading and Writing in Times of Social and Cultural Change / Edition 1

by Uta Papen

Overview

Using literacy practices in the newly independent post-apartheid Namibia as a lens through which to examine the effects of globalisation, this broad case study looks at issues surrounding tourism, state control and the new forces of consumerism. By placing literacy at the centre of an investigation into social and cultural change as experienced by individuals, Papen shows that in times of change, reading and writing are always implicated in structures of power and inequality. The book considers language practices that can exclude some members of Namibian society and also looks at the strategies used by local people to accommodate and even embrace the onward march of global English and the influx of foreign visitors, practices and modes of commerce and interaction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415365048
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/28/2006
Series:	Routledge Research in Literacy
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Uta Papen is Senior Lecturer in Literacy Studies at the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University and a member of the Lancaster Literacy Research Centre. Her main research fields are social and cultural aspects of literacy and cross-cultural studies of literacy and literacy education. She also studies the role of written texts in health care settings and in relation to pregnancy. Publications include Adult Literacy as Social Practice: More than Skills (Routledge 2005) and The Anthropology of Writing (2011, co-edited with D.Barton).

Table of Contents

Part 1: Language and Literacy in Namibia 1. Language and Literacy in Namibia 12 Years after the End of Apartheid 2. A Social and Cultural Perspective on Literacy 3. Setting Out to Study Reading and Writing Practices in Namibia Part 2: Reading the Bible and Shopping on Credit 4. 'Everything is in English' 5. Banks, Loans and Invoices: Beureaucratic Literacy Practices 6. Shopping Without Money: Literacies of Consumerism Part 3: Speaking and Writing the Language of Tourists: Literacy and Tourism 7. Visit 'One of the Most Untamed and Beautiful Parts of Wild Africa' 8. Guestbooks, Price Tags and Cash Books 9. Signposts, Flyers and Brochures 10. Mediation, Creativity and Coping with Unfamiliar Structures and New Faces Part 4: Conclusions