Social Justice, local and global policy and adult literacy
Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:15:00 GMT
The School of Education and Professional Development hosted a recent lecture as part of the HudCRES Policy research group presented by Lyn Tett, Professor of Community Education at the University of Huddersfield and Emeritus
Professor at the University of Edinburgh.
The lecture entitled “Social Justice, local and global policy and adult literacy” was enjoyed by an audience of University of Huddersfield staff and students, plus colleagues from other institutions and members of the public, including some of Lyn’s current and former doctoral students.
Lyn set the scene by describing the origins of her interest in education and social justice and then considered different ways in which social justice may be conceptualised. She explained the connection between literacy and social and cultural equality, critiquing current policy for its focus on the economic aspects of inequality and linking this to a narrow view of literacy learning that emphasises the acquisition of a set of technical, employability skills while failing to recognise the broader social and political benefits of literacy. During the lecture Lyn outlined her recent work with learners participating in family literacy programmes. She used theorist Nancy Fraser’s Social Justice Framework (redistribution, recognition and participatory parity) in considering the impact that participation in family literacy programmes has had on their family lives and community involvement. Lyn drew on her research to argue that education has a significant role to play in bringing about greater social equality for people who have already experienced social injustice in their lives. It concluded with a lively discussion in which Lyn responded to questions and comments about gender, class and even Brexit!
