More Powerful Literacies

The growth of a knowledge-based economy and an information society has meant that literacy increasingly mediates our lives and activities. Literacy has also been a way of critically comprehending the world in order to make it different and better. It has been, and can be, an important tool for increasing the autonomy of powerless individuals and groups. Building on the original Powerful Literacies first published in 2001, this new volume considers the new developments in theory, technology and policy that are having an impact on learning and teaching literacies, and links to the current policy context of lifelong learning, active citizenship and social inclusion by showing how learners can be positioned in ways that seek to enhance their control and autonomy. Using examples from the UK and elsewhere, including issues raised by and for learners, teachers and researchers on the outcomes of literacy programmes, the text also shows how particular policy frameworks can be supportive or limiting.