[NLA] Adult literacy discourse version

[George E. Demetrion]

(Note:  Good to see this discussion on democracy flourishing on a variety
of fronts, to coin a military metaphor.  below is my theoretical 2 cents)

George,

It doesn't have to be "democratic capitalism" or anything like that.  The
only problem is to clarify terms before the argument.  Small c capitalism
simply opens up a potentially useful way of thinking, the way democracy
opens up a way of thinking about social organization. 

Andrea and others:

After responding to the specifics of definitions of capitalism and
democracy in the last message, obviously in an incomplete manner, I'd
like now to briefly respond to something of the potentiality that these
two terms open up in terms of our thinking about the field, as your
message indicates.  That is, whatever their literal definitions might
mean, the issue of what the terms "capitalism" and "democracy" might
signify as meaning making symbol systems is also of importance.  Any
attempt at exactness is bound to be found wanting. Rather, the remarks
that follow might be viewed as an exploratory hypothesis in an effort to
gain a bit of clarity that would require further refinement from others
as well as in my own thinking

Perhaps we might say that as symbols or signposts, the terms "capitalism"
and "democracy" might signify a certain polarity in the nature of
political discourse on adult literacy.  In their more extreme
manifestations, capitalism might evoke images of exploitation,
reductionism and linkages with the imagery of investment and costs
benefits analysis in a narrow sense.  From this perspective, the value of
adult literacy would be translated in terms like the following, $1000 of
investment results in $1500 in outcomes that can be measured in certain
precise quantitative terms.  The matter of how such outcomes are
measured, who benefits and who doesn't also becomes an important part of
the equation.

Democracy in its most extravagant manifestations might be linked with a
sense of radical social equality (I use the term "radical" in the
neutral, descriptive sense), the flourishing of a humane and civilizing
culture, and a widespread expansion of a critical civic consciousness
supported by vigorous citizenry activism resulting in the strengthening
of mediating institutions and the ethos of voluntarism.  Though such
flourishing might be viewed as a reasonable overflowing of a democratic
culture, the issue of whether its support should come from public coffers
and why, might be viewed at least as contestable matters worthy of
sustained rational explanation.

Thus, to push the metaphorical significance of the two concepts,
capitalism might be associated with an exacting quantitative
cost-benefits impact, on the one hand that might also be viewed as a form
of exploitation between the have and the have nots, on the other hand. 
As a symbol democracy might be linked with imagery of realizing the
idealistic potential of human cooperation based upon a fundamental belief
in absolute equality, particularly of opportunity, along with the impact
that such opportunity would unleash not only within individual lives, but
in the flourishing of the culture and society as well.  This might be
viewed by some as excessively visionary.

If these represent the poles, if you will, reflected in the symbolic
concepts of "capitalism" and "democracy as imagery in the cultural
iconography of the nation," any reasonable resolution would need some
bridge building mechanisms between current and potentially future
understandings of what we are about when we seek to define the public
value of adult literacy education.  Keeping a focus on the symbolic
discourse for the purposes of this message, I submit that the challenge
before us is the need to move progressively from more restrictive to more
inclusive discourse in describing the public value of adult literacy
education.

On this interpretation, the more extreme versions of the capitalist
metaphor might be associated with the more restrictive (and oppressive)
definitions of the public impact of adult literacy, a perspective which
has shaped much of the language of the past 40 years.  Therefore, any
move from the "margins to the mainstream" in a way that is even
proximately viable and empowering, would need to be accompanied by more
inclusive, expanding, and humanizing imagery. Does such shift in imagery
matter?  That is a discussion worthy of consideration.

If the more radical expansive democratic imagery is viewed as too
idealistic to be policy realistic, then the critical link in progressive
concept development would be through moving *toward* more expansive
notions of "investment" as discussed in various previous messages,
combined with the more self-evident notions of democracy like that which
David Hayes has described as linked with the common sense notion of
opportunity.  To this I would also add the importance of adult literacy
in the strengthening of the mediating institutions of the workplace, the
family, and community, which is the core of the EFF project.  Such
strengthening might be viewed both as an "investment" in the broader
sense of that term as discussed in my previous message, as well as a
contribution to citizenry activism and to democratic practice at the
local level. 

These three levers, an expanding notion of the term "investment," the
importance of equal opportunity language, and the contributory impact of
adult literacy to the strengthening of mediating institutions might
represent the bridging mechanisms in moving from current restrictive to
more expansive inclusive discourse about the public values of adult
literacy education.  Such language work would not likely emerge
spontaneously, but would require deliberate, intentional action.   Again,
 does such shift in imagery matter?  That again is a discussion worthy of
consideration.

Thus, there is language available and work underway in the field to help
shift the imagery by which the field characterizes its public value from
the more restrictive capitalistic metaphors toward imagery grounded in
more enlightened forms of democratic participation, which respects the
importance of bridging from current understandings toward what might be
viewed as a preferable alternative future. I do not assert this
dogmatically, but raise it as part of a working hypothesis in the effort
to find appropriate public language to describe the many contributions
that adult literacy education makes and could make to the public good. 
This might be viewed as part of a collaborative effort in the hard work
of situating the politics of literacy within the realities *and* the
opportunities resident within the political culture of the United States,
including the formation of a sound public policy.

Before any such shift in language even gets considered, the more
fundamental issue of whether discourse itself is an important matter
needs to be discerned.  Does it matter what discourse, imagery, or
language is used to explain the public value of the field, or does it
just matter that we get the goods, legislative session by session and
make whatever compromises are needed to stay within the broad parameters
of what might be viewed as current policy realism?  To state it
negatively, unless this issue,  itself is on the table, then perhaps
symbolic language in negotiating the cultural terrain between the imagery
of capitalism and that of democracy may not be particularly productive. 
To state it positively, fresh language is available to gradually shift
the nature of discourse on adult literacy from ones primarily grounded in
economic to democratic metaphors.

Would such a shifting of language and the hard work required in its
making be valuable or besides the point?  Does such shift in imagery
matter?  That once again, finally, is a discussion worthy of
consideration.

What do others think?

George Demetrion
Sophocles5 at juno.com

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