[AAACE-NLA] adult literacy & the U.S. political tradition

Wed Dec 8 20:45:27 EST 2004

Hi Tanya,

Thank you for your well thought out commentary.

One of the reasons conservatives have been as successful as they are is
because they have a very well-defined set of values grounded in
politics, ethics, economics, and social policy.  One might say that as a
movement contemporary US conservative ideology is coherent, and very
well thought out according to the premises upon which it is based. One
of those premises is American patriotism based on a certain reading of
the constitution emphasizing the central value of liberty.  Their
strength is in the capacity to resonate with the core symbols of this
nation's founding myths (I use the term myth in a descriptive rather
than pejorative sense as imagination evoking, which at its best stirs
the heart, soul and mind.  One might say that the conservatives have
colonized the mythos of the US political founding tradition upon which
their legitimacy is grounded amongst a large sector of the US public.
Unless one is to surrender such values to the conservatives it is up to
those who disagree with this vision to articulate another vision.  There
is such a progressive political literature firmly grounded in American
values, articulated by John Dewey, Robert Bellah, Benjamin Barber, John
Rawls, and much as well within the indigenous radical tradition in the
areas of labor, civil rights, and the women's movement.  This literature
and various reform movements stemming from this core political
tradition, going in more expansive directions than the narrow
constructivism of conservative ideology.  In this era the conservatives
are clearly in the ascendancy as they have been at many other times in
the nation's history.  It's up to those with a more progressive vision
to create or fortify the institutions and clearly articulate the
policies and more fundamentally the value system that is required even
to begin to give force to another coherent vision without which
increasing political impotency is the only likely result.  Keep in mind
that the conservative movement as a coherently articulated force was
born in the ashes of defeat stemming from the campaign of Barry
Goldwater in 1964.  There was a lot of institution building, idea
articulation and the formation of think tanks ad coalitions that took
place before conservatives were able to take power.  Liberalism is in an
analogous position.  The reality is that we (those of us who are liberal
or progressive) have become marginalized.  There's a lot of work that
has to be done outside the formal governmental power structure if
liberalism is to re-arise as a powerful political force and there are no
guarantees that it will.  One of the key questions is whether liberals
and progressives are going to surrender the ethos of the American
political tradition to the conservatives or are they going to
reconstruct it on their own terms.  

To take on the later will require much critical hermeneutical
(interpretive) work and more than a little profiling in courage to
engage the arduous effort.  The issue for our field is the need to
articulate a convincing set of values for the justification of adult
literacy education at the level of political culture.  Without that
there is no political basis upon which to justify the field, giving the
only viable option that of fitting in to the mind-set of the powers that
be.  Such accommodation may be necessary in certain situations for
tactical reasons.  Yet to surrender a more comprehensive rationale upon
which to establish the cause of adult literacy education based on the
fields own terms (recognizing the pluralism of the field) is to
sacrifice the lifeblood of the core work of what we do.  That work can
only go forward based on a convincing politics of literacy that inspires
as it informs.  From where will that articulated politics of literacy
arise if not from the lifeblood that arises from this nation's most
cherished values? One can surrender that quest in the name of expedience
or practicality, but the long-term impact of such a tactical maneuver
also needs to be critically scrutinized.  As I've argued before, the
issue turns on being able to distinguish between short, mid-range and
long term approaches along with the recognition that work at all of
these levels needs to take place, perhaps by different sets of people
and institutions.

George Demetrion

________________________________

From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org
[mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org] On Behalf Of
ttweeton at comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 11:33 AM
To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] adult literacy & the U.S. political tradition

 "That hermeneutical work, if you will, requires a profound grappling
with the key symbols, documents, and values stemming from the entire
period (18776-1791) in ways that travel both with the grain of the
nation's Founders as well as pushes the boundaries of the means of
visualization and application beyond what they realized, but which has
been realized (clearly in part) at various aspects and key moments in
the nation's history."

"Pushing the boundaries" George, is not what  the Supreme Court Justices
are about to do in my opinion, and as I have said,  nor are they there
for that reason.

It is not for me to decide that this is right or wrong and it wouldn't
much matter any way.   And George W. is about to place  "strict
constructionists" in any  of the positions that come available in the
future on the Court .There may be possibly 3 of those in the next few
years. So I guess y'all...get ready for more of the same!

 Our time would be better spent  I believe, deciding how to get more of
the Adult  funding, than to debate much about the whether Supreme Court
Justices  are doing us a disservice at this point. Unless we can change
this , I see this as a futile argument . There are  attorneys  who take
care of what they find objectionable and deal with them directly on
those issues.Unless something changes here,  I don't see that we have
this  kind of power. Am I wrong?

Tanya Tweeton

ESOL and GED Programs

Fort lauderdale,Florida

	-------------- Original message -------------- 

	Hi Tayna,

	I realize I'm pressing the envelope here. The basic argument is
the need to ground public and policy support of adult literacy education
within a convincing set of values that go to the core of the political
culture, wherein the power/knowledge nexus most fully resides.  For the
United States, any substantial reconstruction of the politics of
literacy (and reconstruction is what is required, I am arguing) requires
a firm linkage with the democratic, constitutional and republican value
system reflected initially in the ethos coming out of the American
Revolution.  That hermeneutical work, if you will, requires a profound
grappling with the key symbols, documents, and values stemming from the
entire period (18776-1791) in ways that travel both with the grain of
the nation's Founders as well as pushes the boundaries of the means of
visualization and application beyond what they realized, but which has
been realized (clearly in part) at various aspects and key moments in
the nation's history.

	The metaphor of literacy itself and its various significations
is part of this essential work of reconstruction.  

	Let us be clear, this is a longer-term outlook, but a journey
that can begin, at least in part in the present.  Thinking and acting
out of its premises, and justifying the field's legitimacy based on its
value system is important work in such a process.

	Otherwise, what?

	George Demetrion

		----- Original Message -----

		From: ttweeton at comcast.net

		Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 10:14 PM

		To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE

		Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] adult literacy & the
U.S.political tradition

		George, I understand  and "hear you" that you do not
agree with the Supreme Court decision, however it is what it is. Perhaps
some day, as in all things, the penduleum will swing the other way  with
other Justices, and there may be a different interpretation of the
Constitution in some other case, but for the moment..........

		  You said " The issue is not so 
		much whether literacy among the adult population is a
right or a privilege.  
		The issue is the role of adult basic education in
providing the population 
		with the basic tools and knowledge to participate in and
contribute to the 
		very blessings of liberty to which the Constitution
aspires."

		I too agree  of course that  adults should be educated.
We discuss endlessly here  the good  reasons to do so. But that decision
that you take issue with, I can see,  has,  most probably, repercussions
with funding  of Adult Education. So if anyone questions why there is
such a lack, perhaps that case is part of the background for the
reason. Maybe a big part. It seems clearer to me at least, now, why
funding Adult Education  is not  seen as such a priority........ right
or wrong. 

		Tanya Tweeton

		ESOL and GED

		Fort Lauderdale, Florida

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/aaace-nla/attachments/20041208/ec3984d9/attachment.htm