ERIC ED386343: Alpha 94: Literacy and Cultural Development Strategies in Rural Areas.

343 Pages·1994·3.9 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
RC 020 235
ED 386 343
Hautecoeur, Jean-Paul, Ed.
AUTHOR
Alpha 94: Literacy and Cultural Development
TITLE
Strategies in Rural Areas.
Ministry of Education and Science, Madrid (Spain).;
INSTITUTION
Ministry of Education, Quebec (Canada).; National
Literacy Secretariat, Ottawa (Ontario).; United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization, Hamburg (Germany). Inst. for
Education.
ISBN-0-921472-12-9
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
94
343p.; Translation of "Alpha 94: strategies
NOTE
d'alphabetisation et de la developpement culturel en
milieu rural." For selected individual papers, see RC
020 236-250.
Culture Concepts, 5 Darlingbrook Crescent, Toronto,
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Action Research; Adult Basic Education; *Community
DESCRIPTORS
Action; *Community Development; *Cultural Relevance;
Culture Conflict; Educational Strategies; Foreign
Countries; *Literacy Education; Rural Areas; *Rural
Education
Canada; Europe; *Local Control; Marginality; Spain;
IDENTIFIERS
United States
ABSTRACT
This book compiles 21 action research articles from
12 countries that describe community-based initiatives in adult
literacy education in peripheral rural areas. These initiatives
represent dynamic experiments in cultural action that explicitly link
individual basic education and a collective change in the conditions
of local life. The reports focus on the collective aspects of
literacy, reject central authorized assessments of language skills,
and proceed from a cultural understanding of literacy that situates
the written word within the social problematic of communication
rather than within the context of i-,structional theories. Articles
from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Romania, the Czech
Republic, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and
"Rural Spain" (Purificacion
Chile, include the following:
(1)
(2) "Twelve Years of Sociocultural Action in the Las Villas
Marcos);
Area" (Quintin Garcia Gonzalez);
(3) "'Preescolar na Casa': Teaching
Parents To Teach Children" (Ermitas Fernandez);
(4) "A Cultural
Empowerment Process in Rural Areas" (Joaquin Garcia Carrasco);
(5)
"New Cultural Development Options" (Hilario Hernandez Sanchez);
(6)
"From Literacy Activities to Entrepreneurship in Siete Pilas"
(Antonio Chacon, Angel Polo);
(7) "Literacy Education & Cultural
Development in Reguengos de Monzaraz" (Maria Da Graca Abreu, Joaquina
(8) "Answers to Education Problems in Rural Italy"
Maria Margalha);
(Paolo Federighi, Giovanni Parlavecchia); (9) "The Velvendos Women's
Agricultural and Craft Co-operative" (Gella Vornava Skoura, Dimitris
Vergidis, Georgia Sariyannidou, Sophia Avgitidou);
(10) "'Turkish
Faces & Landscapes': An Experiment in Creative Workshop Leadership"
(Daniel Seret, Christine Mahy); (11) "Opening Up Learning: Responding
to the Literacy Needs of the Rural Communities" (Sue Buss, Julia
Clarke, Sue Craggs, Sue Grief, Mary Hamilton, Catherine Sauzier);
(12) "A New History for the Hungarian Village of Gyulaj" (Ferenc
Balipap); (13) "Functional Literacy in Romania: Between Myth &
Reality" (Florentina Anghel); (14) "Television & Literacy Development
in the Czech Republic" (Stanislav Hubik); (15) "Empowering People &
Building Competent Communities" (Priscilla George); (16) "Literacy: A
Critical Element in the Survival of Aboriginal Languages" (Lynn
Fogwill); (17) "Challenges of Literacy & Development in Rural Quebec"
(Hughes Dionne, Raynald Horth); (18) "Migrant & Seasonal Farmworkers:
An Invisible Population" (Loida C. Velasquez); (19) "Appalachian
Communities: Working To Survive" (Mary Beth Bingman, Connie- White);
(20) "Community in the Classroom: Literacy & Development in a Rural
Industrialized Region" (Juliet Merrifield, Connie White, Mafy Beth
Bingman); and (21) "Popular Education for Peasant Communities in
Chile" (Isabel Infante R., Eugenia Letelier G.). Introductory and
concluding chapters by Jean-Paul Hautecoeur provide a theoretical
framework for the reports.
(SV)
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AVAILABLE
f)
Literacy
and
Edited by
Cultural
Jean-Paul Hautecoeur
Development
Strategies
in
Rural
Areas
Prepared by the Unesco Institute for Education
with the assistance of the
Ministry of Education & Science Government of Quebec,
the National Literacy Secretariat Department
of Human Resources Development Government of Canada
and the Ministry of Education & Science Government of Spain
CULTURE CONCEPTS
Publishers
Toronto, Canada
ALPHA 94 © 1994 jointly by Culture Concepts Inc. and Unesco
Institute for Education
Published in exclusive World English Translation by permission of Unesco Institute for Education. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
Culture Concepts Inc.
UTE ISBN 92 820 1067 8
Culture Concepts ISBN 0-921472-12-9
The Unesco Institute for Education, Hamburg, is a legally independent entity While the programs of the Institute are
established along the lines laid down by the General Conference of Unesco, the publications of the Institute are
issued under its sole responsibility; Unesco is not responsible for their contents. The points of view, selection of facts
and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily coincide with the official positions of the
Unesco Institute for Education, Hamburg. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this
publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Unesco Secretariat concerning
the legal status of any country or territory, or its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of the frontiers of any
country or territory.
The opinions expressed, facts selected and points of view expressed by the authors do not necessarily represent those
of the publisher.
or does the publisher claim any responsibility for the accuracy of referencs and sources provided
by the authors.
CANADIAN CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Main entry under title:
Alpha 94: literacy & cultural development
strategies in rural areas
Translation of: Alpha 94 :
strategies d'alphabetisation et de la developpement
culture] en milieu rural.
Co-published by Unesco Institute for Education.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-921472-12-9
1. Literacy programs. 2. Rural development. 3. Rural conditions.
4. Rural development projects. 5. Communication in rural development.
I. Hautecoeur,
Jean
-Paul, 1943-.
II. Unesco Institute for Education. III. Title:
Literacy & cultural development strategies in meal areas.
302.2'244
C94-932534-1
LC149.A513 1994
Cover photograph VELO, 1993
by Andre Mathieu, sculptor
Book Cover Design by Robert MacDonald, MediaClones Inc.
Typesetting: Accurate Typesetting Limited
Printed & Bound in Canada
Unesco Institute for Education
Culture Concepts Inc.
5 Darlingbrook Crescent
B.P. 131023
20110 Hamburg
Toronto Canada M9A 3H4
Germany
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
4
CONTENTS
Preface
1
Jean-Paul Hautecoeur
Opening Reflections:
Literacy in Rural Areas: Orientations for Action Research
7
Jean-Paul Hautecoeur
SOUTH EUROPE
Rural Spain
25
1
Purification Marcos
Twelve Years of Sociocultural Action in the Las Villas Area
35
2
Quintin Garcia Gonzalez
- Teaching Parents to Teach Children
3
«Preescolar na casa»
51
Ermitas Fernandez
4 A Cultural Empowerment Process in Rural Areas
65
Joaquin Garcia Carrasco
New Cultural Development Options
79
5
Hilario Hernandez Sanchez
From Literacy Activities to Entrepreneurship in Siet:! Pi las
87
6
Antonio Chacon and Angel Polo
Literacy Education & Cultural Development
7
in Reguengos de Monsaraz
99
Maria Da Grata Abreu & Joaquina Maria Margalha
Answers to Education Issues in Rural Italy
8
111
Paolo Federighi & Giovanni Parlavecchia
.... 123
The Velvendos Women's Agricultural & Craft Cooperative
9
Gel la Vernava Skoura, D. Vergidis, G. Sariyannidou & S. Avgitidou
«Turkish
Faces & Landscapes» An Experiment
10
in Creative Workshop Leadership
133
Daniel Seret & Christine Mahy
Opening up Learning
Responding to the Literacy Needs
11
of the Rural Communities
147
S. Buss, J. Clarke, S. Craggs, S. Grief, M. Hamilton & C. Sauzier
A New History for the Village of Gyulaj
12
161
Ferenc Balipap
Functional Literacy in Romania - Between Myth and Reality
177
13
Florentina Anghel
Television & Literacy Development in the Czech Republic
14
197
Stanislav Hubik
NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA
Empowering People & Building
15
Competent Communities
211
Priscilla George
Literacy: A Critical Element in the Survival of
16
229
Aboriginal Languages
Lynn Fogwill
Challenges of Development in Rural Quebec & Literacy
249
17
Hugues Dionne & Raynald Horth
Migrant & Seasonal Farmworkers: An Invisible Population 269
18
Loida C. Veldsquez
Appalachian Communities: Working to Survive
281
19
Man/ Beth Bingman & Connie White
Community in the Classroom: Literacy & Develoment
20
in a Rural Industrialized Region
299
Juliet Merrifield, C. White & M. B. Bingman
Popular Education for Peasant Communities in Chile
313
21
. .
. .
Isabel Infante R. & Eugenia Letelier G.
Closing Reflections:
Literacy & Cultural Development Strategies in Rural Areas
327
Jean-Paul Hautecoeur
Previous titles in collection:
ALPHA 90 Current Research in Literacy
ALPHA 92 Literacy Strategies in the Community Movement
Orders to:
Unesco Institute for Education, Publication Unit
Germany
13. P. 131023, 2011 lhimburg.
PREFACE
Jean-Paul Hautecoeur
Unesco Institute for Education
LITERACY AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
IN RURAL AREAS
ALPHA 94, is the third publication in the Unesco Institute for Education's
Literacy Strategies in Industrialized Countries program.1 The objectives of this
action research program, coordinated by the Hamburg Institute, are to promote
international intellectual cooperation in the field of adult literacy education, to
support experimental socio-educational practices, and to disseminate its find-
ings at the international level. The projects all run for two years. They are made
possible by support from government agencies and non-governmental organi-
zations, and by the participation of numerous researchers.
Through literacy issues, this book investigates the response of groups, local
communities and organizations to the crises ravaging rural communities in
many regions of industrialized countries. We examine the cultural initiatives
being launched by these groups at the periphery of major systems of communi
cations in their struggle to resist exclusion and exodus; the role educational
activities, facilities and personnel are playing in comprehensive integrated
development operations in outlying regions, often independently of national
institutions and policies; and the function that local communities assign to
educational activities and cultural research in their efforts to recreate vital,
attractive and locally-controlled environments in places which have suffered
major dislocations.
Aims
At the regional seminars held at the beginning of the study, the project was
presented to the researchers in the following terms:
This project aims at renewing literacy issues in rural areas from the perspective of
cultural development integrated into community-based activities of local/regional
development. In three Northern regions of the world, dynamic experiments in
cultural action are to be implemented which explicitly link individual basic education
and a collective change in the conditions of local life, and relate the technique of the
written word to either the development of communication channels or an exchange
between rural areas "with problems". Another goal is to make known and to upgrade
1
2
ALPHA 94
these experiences in local development as well as to establish an international
network of research and action in a field which joins three phenomena: popular
education, cultural action and local development.
This action research project is intended to be inductive and pragmatic. The
starting point is the local community: its context, history, discourse, experi-
ence, plans, knowledge. On this basis, we probe the realities of rural societies,
attentive to the particularities of local speech, and we strive to discover common
situations, comparable forms of knowledge, transferable experiments. Periods
of lonely labour were interrupted by seminars where we tried to differentiate
situations and points of view, and to reassess our experiences. The 21 articles in
this volume are the result of this mostly individual, partly collective effort. The
articles are largely "peripheral", as are rural communities, but they are tied
together by a common concern with literacy.
OUR PURPOSE & THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS
Our purpose was to renew the literacy problematic through a local, rural
pluricultural perspective which admits regional and ethnic differences, brings
them into focus, makes them known. One departure is this project's rejection of
central authorized assessments of language skills and therefore our refusal to
apply national or international standards to language use, skill assessment,
statistical measurement of illiteracy rates in different populations, and so forth.
In this respect, we are continuing along the path marked out by the previous
studies in this series and our stance is consistent with the international position
which emerged from a recent Unesco seminar.2
Our cultural understanding of literacy leads us to situate the written word
within the social problematic of communication, rather than within the context
of theories of reading/writing instruction. Our purpose is to investigate the
processes of communication, the state of development of the means of com-
munication, how they are used by groups, the meanings of their messages, etc.
including literacy strategies which address the serious problems of loss of
information, meaning and value in human interchanges. A second departure is
therefore this project's rejection of all linguistic/scholastic approaches to literacy
(reading, writing, arithmetic), which has led us to examine literacy in all aspects
of the community's existence, not just in educational programs. This is why our
title links literacy and cultural action.
Consequently, we are interested in collective aspects of literacy: on the one
hand, the relationship between social role and language skills, the division of
labour and relations of solidarity in human interchanges, the distribution of
skills in the community; on the other hand, relations of oppression and the
effects of colonization. Our third departure is that we have refused to isolate
individual skills from the cultural context in which they are practised and from
3
Preface
which they derive their meaning.
Our methodology and policy lead us to support cultural action strategies
based on committed, dialogic participatory intervention by outside workers
(group leaders, researchers, educators, etc.) in rural localities. In this respect,
we must distance ourselves both from mass culture and from systemic
educational programs or any other "mechanism" planned from the outside for
rural "clienteles".
the "four deviations" as they
These are the theoretical underpinnings
which have guided our work. At the outset, the field of
might say in China
study was to embrace the four points of the compass, starting from Hamburg:
south (southern Europe), east (central and eastern Europe), west (North Amer-
ica) and north (Arctic regions in the U.S. and Russia). In the end, rural societies
in three major geopolitical regions were explored by participan' from sixteen
countries: southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, France, Belgium and
the U.K.), central. Europe (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria,
Romania, Hungary), North America (Canada, the U.S.), with two deliberate
detours, to Canada's Northwest Territories and Chile. Thus, we did deal with the
Far North after all. The inclusion of Chile, which is further off the track, was
doubly significant for us: Chile represents the newly industrialized countries of
the south, and it also refers us to the popular education experiments in Latin
America which helped to stimulate our interest in literacy (and echoes of which
can be found in a number of the chapters in this volume).
Each of the three geopolitical regions had a particular significance for this
study. In rural areas of the European Community, devastation of the coun-
tryside and mass demonstrations by farmers have ebbed under the Common
Agriculture Policy (CAP), and a search for comprehensive solutions to the
problems of these areas and their remaining communities has begun. In this
context, southern Europe, which is the most rural region, has waged a vigorous
resistance to underdevelopment and seen innovations which have been in
keeping with both local cultures and the demands of post-modernity.
In the early 1990s, central Europe is, first and foremost, post-Communist
Europe. On the one hand, rural societies had been subjected to collectivization
and even the eradication of villages and displacement of populations (primarily
but not exclusively in Romania, as the Hungarian contribution shows). On the
other hand, the Communist regimes had safeguarded and supported local
popular cultures (or at least those customs which were compatible with scien-
tific socialism), provided rural areas with cultural facilities which had no
counterparts in the West, and in some countries tolerated the development of a
private subsistence economy It was of great interest to us to discover how rural
communities had "survived" under the dictatorial regimes, and how they are
now enlisting this heritage to confront the new radical crisis of "liberalization"
to reorganize their own survival.
North America has also suffered the full brunt of economic liberalization and
the application of the productivist model to rural regions, with their dramatic