Abstract
Based on descriptive narratives of older, homebound adults, this article articulates how holding on to literacies is a vital part of staying engaged as an older adult. It traces a parallel between the idea of aging and literacy development. Employing the concept of heritage literacy—the decision-making processes individuals use regarding whether to adopt, adapt, or alienate various literacies and technologies over time—the article theorizes more extensively the heritage literacy practice of alienation. Alienation from literacies becomes a particularly important part of our understanding of literacy development in light of widespread experiences of aging, such as when physical health, mental health and acuity, social connection, spiritual health, or maintaining independence are challenged because of age. By examining how literacy is employed in agentive and nuanced ways in the lives of homebound adults, the article shows the impact that literacy has on aging and the impact that aging has on understandings of literacy throughout the life course.
Highlights
In her 1995 seminal work discussing the accumulation of literacy, Deborah Brandt says that we might visualize the effects of literacy “as developing in two directions—vertically and horizontally” (651-52, emphasis added)
As literacy for an individual, community, or group accumulates, contexts, objects, tools, and needs change; in turn, community members adapt to the changes, adopt the changes, or alienate themselves from the changes” (Rumsey, “Heritage Literacy” 575-76)
“What happens if a person’s physical health or slowed mental acuity limits employing those accumulated literacy practices or limits additional piling or spreading of literacies? How might our understanding of literacy change when we see acceptance of those limitations? How do older adults hold on to literacy practices, and what role does literacy play in aging?”
Summary
In addition to adding to the field of literacy studies, I hoped to be able to offer perspectives of this facet of older adults’ lives to more traditional gerontological studies These basic questions framed my semi-structured interview process: What do older adults read and write every day? Several medical and gerontological studies have addressed general well-being, “active aging,” or “successful aging” as it applies to physical, emotional, and mental health.[13] Pertinent to the parallel between literacy and aging, Kim Boudiny’s discussion of active aging notes that there are qualitative studies that show how “‘ordinary’ activities such as reading, solving crossword puzzles and gardening” are a “more important indicator of [older adults’] involvement with life than highly social or physical ‘youthful activities’” (1088).[14] Successful aging as a concept has done much to break down several negative tendencies regarding older adults. For “[o]nly when the age continuum is recognized in full can we sufficiently appreciate the active and changing nature of literate lives” (Bowen, “Resisting” 603)
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