1. Community Jim Crowther Senior Lecturer in Community Education University of Edinburgh

2. Adult literacies and community

3. Traditions in adult literacy Remedial activity: a special needs discourse for those who lack the ability / motivation Economic activity: behavioural emphasis on morally and economically productive citizens Welfare activity: offering enlightenment for the ‘disadvantaged’ Emancipation: emphasis on social and political change ( Hamilton 1996 )

4. Scottish context Community Education circa 1975 Adult literacy workers allied with youth and community specialists Ambivalence of community “Is ‘the community’ everybody who lives in a certain area, is ‘the community’ a particular group conscious of itself as a grouping, or is ‘the community’, paradoxically, all those who have been excluded from feeling part of ‘the community’?” (Cain and Yuval-Davis, 1990) Individual freedom to question the value of established practices and institutions and to propose new forms is part of our democratic heritage. To maintain this freedom, resources should not be put at the disposal only of those who conform but ought reasonably to be made available to all for explicit educational purposes. (SED, 1975: 25)

5. The changing policy environment National Performance Framework 2007 onwards National indicator “Reduce number of working age people with severe literacy and numeracy problems.” Poor literacy skills are “…a drag on Scotland’s economic capacity.” “By 2020 Scotland’s society and economy will be stronger because more of its adults are able to read, write and use numbers effectively in order to handle information, communicate with others, express ideas and opinions, make decisions and solve problems, as family members, workers, citizens and lifelong learners.” (AL Guidance (2011) Adult Literacy in Scotland 2020, p7)

6. Theoretical differences

7. Key themes of social practice model Literacies….start from use rather than learner deficit. NB technology + multiple modalities add a further dimension of complexity Individuals set their own learning goals and success is measured in relation to distance travelled: learning plans record success. Assessment creates virtuous cycles of achievement rather than vicious ones of failure Demanding role for the tutor – professional training is critical but limited Criticisms / issues Learner-centred focus but a social practice…tensions? NB marrying individual + group goals NB Ackland (2011) social practice = “empty signifier”

8. Literacy evaluation Research carried out by Tett et al (2006) found that there were psychological differences in how people felt about themselves. Students reported: increases in their self-esteem; a greater belief in their own potential and achievements; they had greater independence; they were happier; more able to voice their opinions; more aware of others. Confidence was also related to increasing skills. For example students reported that they were more able to: speak to other people confidently; use computers; read newspapers and books; fill in forms; go shopping and calculate the best value items. Students also reported changes in aspects of social capital such as: approaching strangers for information; feeling safer in their neighbourhood; more able to deal with conflict and stand up for themselves; able to engage in conversations without needing an interpreter; more involvement in their community.

9. Keeping spaces open ‘Glamping on a budget’ is a community camping cooperative, social enterprise, non-profit organisation. It is run by young people to help the local community get out of the city for a break including people who are on a tight budget. The group aim to make camping more affordable and to also help reduce waste and raise environmental issues.

10. Keeping spaces open 2 CLD L4E Community Learning and Development Literacies for Employability (CLD L4E) started 14 months ago and 172 young people have participated. It provides assessment, guidance, groups, courses and group projects as well as some individual support, and each young person develops a learning plan, building on their own interests….

11. Football literacies "It helped me to talk more about football… I learnt a lot through writing down information I picked up from the speaker … everyone has the opportunity to participate … it was very interesting to hear something about racism that would help me write my story …” (student comment) http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wKD9DAIogII

12. Challenges & Opportunities The virtues of ambivalence of community: keeping spaces open for powerful literacies Rhetorical power of SP model even if it is an “empty signifier” The importance of the tutor’s role NB Tends to be over looked in the ‘language of learning’ The disappearance of ‘adults’ in policy? NB invisibility = marginality Generational issue? NB Historical memories are kept alive by those who lived through them…community education in Scotland is being transformed

13. References Ackland, A. (2011) ‘The eye of the storm: discursive power and resistance in the development of a professional qualification for adult Literacies practitioners in Scotland’, E.J.R.E.L. vol 2 (1) pp 57-73 Cain, H and Yuval-Davis, N (1990) ‘The equal opportunities community’, Critical Social Policy 10 (2) Hamilton, M. (1996) ‘Literacy and adult basic education’, in Fieldhouse, R. (ed) A History of Modern British Adult Education, Leicester: NIACE. Player, J. (2012) ‘The Glory and Dismay football literacies programme’, Tett, L., Hamilton, M. and Crowther, J. (eds) More Powerful Literacies, Leicester: NIACE. Tett, L. et al (2006) Evaluation of the Scottish Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN) Strategy, Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Social Research.