School & Society: Ch. 9 Study Questions

1. What, in your view, does the functional literacy perspective contribute to our understanding of the political economy of literacy in the United States? If these are valuable contributions, is the functional approach an adequate view of literacy on which to base educational policy? Explain.

Each level of literacy builds on the preceding one, and each one adds more layers to the richness and complexity of society - from the bare bones conventional society, to the full-orbed cultural society, to the fearless and dynamic critical society. Functional literacy tells us how many people have the knowledge and skills to operate within society at a basic level, and this information is useful, as far as it goes. This level of literacy, however, should be expected as a bare minimum, and our actual educational efforts ought to be aimed much higher.

Therefore, while educational policy should be informed by the functional literacy perspective, it should not be based on it. To be merely functional is to be inert, and to be inert is to recede, for society must develop and grow if it is to thrive and prosper.

2. E.D. Hirsch argues that his conception of cultural literacy preserves the connection between literacy and liberty found in the views of Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King. Do you agree? Explain.

The difference between cultural and critical literacy is not knowledge and information, it is attitude and action. The presence of a critical literacy is less dependent on specific educational content and more dependent on the nature of educational institutions and instruction, and indeed the nature of society as a whole. The need for critical literacy is another problem that betrays the inadequacies of the institutional model, which by nature is defined by compliance, not subversion. But I digress.

In the case of Jefferson or King, we can see that these men translated their profound cultural literacy into critical action. This required a particular kind of upbringing and a good deal of raw courage. Not every student will be a Jefferson or King, but what made these men great is worthy of study and emulation. We must develop educational content that informs the student, and an educational and social environment that encourages him to do something with this information.

3. To what degree do you find the critical literacy perspective consistent with John Dewey's democratic ideal, expressed in Chapter 4, of "the all-around growth of every member of society"? Explain how critical literacy theory does or does not serve this ideal.

The "all-around growth of every member of society" is not always equivalent to the all-around growth of society itself. Critical literacy is subversive, dangerous, and robustly democratic - imagine: teaching people to think for themselves! And yet, while the critical faculty is a necessary component of the complete man, it need not be overemphasized to the excess of chronic cynicism.

4. What features of contemporary U.S. ideology and political economy come to light in the critical literacy perspective that do not emerge in the other literacy perspectives? In your view, should teachers try to take these features into account in their approaches to teaching? Explain.

Critical literacy begins to expose the deterioration of the pure democratic ideal in American society; it enables you to "rethink the system." Democracy is dependent on the acceptance of personal responsibility at the individual level. This has become distasteful for most of the population, as it tends to involve a great deal of work.

As educators we can withstand the "dumbing down" of society by instilling in those we teach a vigorous work ethic, a sense of ownership regarding the well-being of others, and a respectful distrust for the status quo.

5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the critical literacy perspective, in your view, as illustrated in Bigelow and Christensen's classroom? If you identify any practical obstacles to such a pedagogy, to what degree are they grounded in political-economic and ideological conditions in the United States? Are these conditions insurmountable - or is critical literacy theory an inadequate foundation on which to base teaching aims and educational policy in the first place? Defend your position.

Critical literacy is a valuable concept, but it is inconsistent with the institutional model. We must go one step further and reevaluate the viability of institutionalized education. The exercise conducted by Bigelow and Christensen is ironically revealing in this regard: "almost half the instances of rights violations took place in school." Does that not tell us something?

I maintain that we should not teach criticism for its own sake, but rather a broad and keen cultural awareness that leaves the door open for criticism, if and when it became necessary. As Bigelow observes, unchecked emphasis on criticism is counterproductive: "The danger of students becoming terribly cynical as they come to understand the enormity of injustice in this society and in the world is just too great." We need not accept where we are, but we must begin where we are.

6. What kinds of learning seem to be taking place in Bigelow and Christensen's classroom that might not likely take place in other classrooms? At what expense, if any, is such learning taking place? Explain and defend your view.

What Bigelow and Christensen are doing, in part, is doing away with the intimidating awe of the "right answer" and showing that all answers have some value, provided they are genuine and intelligent. They are attempting to create a human connection that validates their students and gives them the confidence and energy necessary to excel. They are bringing out the jumper cables. We do not wish to take the student all sorts of places in our own vehicle - we wish to teach him to drive.

This learning is taking place at the risk of creating an arrogant, disrespectful attitude. The satisfaction of an argument won, or a slight avenged, is remembered. Without counterweights, validation can turn to flattery and lasting damage may be done to the student and the society which must endure him.

7. Which of the perspectives on literacy presented in this chapter do you think is the most important for individual teachers and for schools in general to embrace in the United States today? Defend your view, taking into account relevant dimensions of political economy and ideology as you understand them.

I choose cultural literacy, as students today are already too convinced of their own omnipotence to be fed more critical literacy. Besides, we must have something to be critical about, and that is being lost. Students are not tackling the big questions. They are not capable of interacting with the volume and complexity of cultural and international issues. This deficiency must be set right.