Literacy practices in rural Tanzania

the case of Karagwe

Document identifier: oai:dalea.du.se:1965
Access full text here:10.1080/01434630608668777
Keyword: Social Sciences, Educational Sciences, Samhällsvetenskap, Utbildningsvetenskap, Education, Ethnolinguistics, Literacy, Power, Tanzania
Publication year: 2006
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Abstract:

In this article I argue that literacy, as an aspect of language, is closely related to power. With the example of Karagwe, I show that different literacy practices relate differently to power. In Karagwe dominant literacies, that are officially prescribed and standardised, have a main function to sort people and maintain authority. As they are spread through schools, schooled literacies are very much geared at sorting pupils. Dominated literacy practises often have decorative and cultural functions and often do not follow standard norms, for example in spelling. In some cases there are local norms. Dominated literacies are more or less stigmatised. A third group of literacy practises, semi-dominant, are spread mainly through seminars and development agencies, such as different non-governmental organisations. These literacy practises, that are important for the improvement of daily life and economic conditions, focus both on formal features and on the content in the texts. I argue that literacy in Karagwe is an important tool for maintaining authority while it is at the same time a tool for people to contest and resist authority.

Authors

Åsa Wedin

Högskolan Dalarna; Svenska språket
Other publications >>

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    header: 
        identifier: oai:dalea.du.se:1965
        datestamp: 2021-04-15T12:57:40Z
        setSpec: SwePub-du
    metadata: 
        mods: 
            @attributes: 
                version: 3.7
            recordInfo: 
                recordContentSource: du
                recordCreationDate: 2006-03-14
            identifier: 
                http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-1965
                10.1080/01434630608668777
            titleInfo: 
                @attributes: 
                    lang: eng
                title: Literacy practices in rural Tanzania
                subTitle: the case of Karagwe
            abstract: 
In this article I argue that literacy as an aspect of language is closely related to power. With the example of Karagwe I show that different literacy practices relate differently to power. In Karagwe dominant literacies that are officially prescribed and standardised have a main function to sort people and maintain authority. As they are spread through schools schooled literacies are very much geared at sorting pupils. Dominated literacy practises often have decorative and cultural functions and often do not follow standard norms for example in spelling. In some cases there are local norms. Dominated literacies are more or less stigmatised. A third group of literacy practises semi-dominant are spread mainly through seminars and development agencies such as different non-governmental organisations. These literacy practises that are important for the improvement of daily life and economic conditions focus both on formal features and on the content in the texts. I argue that literacy in Karagwe is an important tool for maintaining authority while it is at the same time a tool for people to contest and resist authority.

            subject: 
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Social Sciences
                        Educational Sciences
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: swe
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Samhällsvetenskap
                        Utbildningsvetenskap
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Education
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: ethnolinguistics
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: literacy
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: power
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Tanzania
            language: 
                languageTerm: eng
            genre: 
                publication/journal-article
                ref
            note: 
                Published
                1
            name: 
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                    type: personal
                    authority: du
                namePart: 
                    Wedin
                    Åsa
                role: 
                    roleTerm: aut
                affiliation: 
                    Högskolan Dalarna
                    Svenska språket
                nameIdentifier: 
                    awe
                    0000-0002-2992-0818
            originInfo: 
                dateIssued: 2006
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                @attributes: 
                    type: host
                titleInfo: 
                    title: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
                identifier: 
                    0143-4632
                    1747-7557
                part: 
                    detail: 
                            @attributes: 
                                type: volume
                            number: 27
                            @attributes: 
                                type: issue
                            number: 3
                    extent: 
                        start: 225
                        end: 240
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                form: print
            typeOfResource: text