The socio-cultural context of literacy learning

Abstract

During the 1990s, following on from emergent views of literacy, sociocultural theories of literacy learning emerged. Socio-cultural theories are derived in part from theory developed by P. Bourdieu. This chapter explores how views of teaching and learning literacies have developed. It describes six elements of a socio-cultural view of literacy. They are children learn about literacies and how to 'do' literacy through participating in a range of activities in their family and community, literacy practices are carried out in culturally specific ways and contribute to children's developing sense of identity, children have different understandings about what counts as literacy and how literacy is done, and literacy practices are carried out in specific ways for particular purposes. They also include the pattern of literacy learning differs between children, as they become relative experts within different literacy events and literacy practices are valued differently in different social and educational contexts.