Educational Disadvantage Through a Sociolinguistic Lens: A Critical Analysis of America Reads
Date
2001
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
Type
Thesis (B.A.)
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
en_US
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
As an entrance into the complex issues of the sociolinguistic, educational, and
political aspects of literacy, I will first locate myself in the discourse, particularly in
relation to my experience as a student coordinator and tutor for the America Reads
program. These issues are significant because of their effects in the lives of at-risk
students in the educational system. Consequently, I will explore definitions of both nonlinguistic
and linguistic disadvantage, and demonstrate why traditional, broad
categorizations of disadvantage are inadequate.
Just as narrow definitions of disadvantage disempower educational refonn, so do
narrow understandings of literacy. I will examine the multiplicities of literacy, cultural
literacy, and critical literacy, in addition to the uses of literacies, which are known as
literacy practices. From this sociolinguistic ally infonned educational perspective, I will
critically analyze the effects of cultural and criticalliteracies with my experience in an
America Reads summer program.