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THE CONTEXTS OF ADULT LITERACY POLICY IN NEW ZEALAND/AOTEAROA by Judith Marianne Walker B.A., University of Auckland, 1997 M.A., University of Auckland, 2004 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Educational Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) March 2011 © Judith Marianne Walker, 2011 II ABSTRACT This dissertation investigates the nature, scope and characteristics of recent adult literacy policy in New Zealand, and explores the reasons and mechanisms by which such reform took place. In this analysis of adult literacy policy, the author considers the context in which adult literacy rose to ascendancy in New Zealand government policy during the first decade of the millennium. In addition, she examines the relationship between adult literacy policy and changes in political ideology and government leadership, assessing the impact of both neoliberalism and inclusive liberalism (Craig & Porter, 2006) and Third Way thought (Giddens, 1999) on policy. Analysis was undertaken of government documents published from 1999-2008, as well as policies released during the previous political era, 1984-1999, to situate later policy. Additionally, interviews were conducted with 20 adult literacy policy actors in the country, including government bureaucrats, literacy researchers, and other experts who worked in and for unions, interest groups, and community and workplace literacy organizations. In drawing from Bowe, Ball and Gold (1992) and Ball (1994), the findings focus on three contexts of policy: the context of text production; the context of influence; and, the context of interpreted practices and outcomes. To address these contexts, the author drew on an array of methodological and theoretical tools. The findings from this study provide four keen insights: First, adult literacy policy formed a legitimate part of economic and social policy; in other words, adult literacy policy was developed for both economic and social purposes and constituted actual policy response beyond rhetoric. Second, adult literacy policy, while developed between 1999-2008, was a continuation of previous government policies set in motion during New Zealand‘s so-called neoliberal era (1984-1999). Third, policy was characterized by paradoxical discourses of ―control‖ and ―freedom.‖ And, fourth, government prioritized practices of economically ii III related workplace literacy and of targeted social support. This dissertation contributes to both the understanding of inclusive liberal/Third Way government education policy as well as to the emergent field of policy studies on adult literacy in developed countries. iii IV PREFACE This research required the approval of the UBC Research Ethics Board. Ethics approval was granted on November 20, 2007 by the Behavioural Research Ethics Board. The study was considered to constitute ―Minimal Risk.‖ The approval certification number is: H07-02577. iv V TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................ii PREFACE ............................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................. v LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. viii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. ix LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................... x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................... xii A NOTE ON STYLE ............................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 1.1 ADULT LITERACY: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? ............................................................................................... 2 1.2 ADULT LITERACY POLICY: WHY POLICY FROM RECENT DECADES IS INTERESTING ................................................................... 3 1.3 ADULT LITERACY POLICY IN NEW ZEALAND ................................................................................................................... 6 1.4 OVERVIEW OF STUDY .............................................................................................................................................. 21 1.5 STRUCTURE OF DISSERTATION .................................................................................................................................. 22 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW .................................. 24 2.1 ADULT EDUCATION IN THE 1980S AND 1990S: NEOLIBERALISM, THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND LIFELONG LEARNING .......... 24 2.2 ADULT EDUCATION IN THE LATE 1990S – 2008: INCLUSIVE LIBERALISM AND ADULT LITERACY ............................................. 38 2.3 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 56 3.1 WHY A POLICY SOCIOLOGY? .................................................................................................................................... 57 3.2 THE CONTEXTS OF POLICY ....................................................................................................................................... 59 3.3 METHODS AND DATA SOURCES ................................................................................................................................ 72 3.4 ENSURING RELIABILITY, VALIDITY AND GENERALIZABILITY .............................................................................................. 81 v VI 3.5 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................................... 82 CHAPTER 4: THE CONTEXT OF POLICY TEXT PRODUCTION: 1984-1999 ........... 84 4.1 OVERVIEW OF POLICY TEXTS .................................................................................................................................... 86 4.2 ARTICULATION OF POLICY CONCERN(S) ...................................................................................................................... 88 4.3 APPROACHES TO POLICY PROBLEM(S) ........................................................................................................................ 93 4.4 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 106 CHAPTER 5: THE CONTEXT OF POLICY TEXT PRODUCTION: 1999-2008 ......... 110 5.1 OVERVIEW OF POLICY TEXTS .................................................................................................................................. 111 5.2 ARTICULATION OF POLICY CONCERN(S) .................................................................................................................... 114 5.3 APPROACHES TO POLICY PROBLEM(S) ...................................................................................................................... 123 5.4 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 141 CHAPTER 6: THE CONTEXT OF POLICY INFLUENCE ........................................ 145 6.1 POLICY CATALYSTS ............................................................................................................................................... 146 6.2 POWER: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT ...................................................................................................................... 151 6.3 INFLUENCE: POLICY ENTREPRENEURS ....................................................................................................................... 155 6.4 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 168 CHAPTER 7: THE CONTEXT OF INTERPRETED POLICY PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES .......................................................................................................... 172 7.1 OVERALL RESPONSES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADULT LITERACY POLICY ....................................................................... 173 7.2 RESPONSES FROM THE WORKPLACE LITERACY SECTOR ................................................................................................ 178 7.3 RESPONSES FROM THE COMMUNITY SECTOR ............................................................................................................. 183 7.4 RESPONSES TO PURPORTED INCREASES IN COLLABORATION AND CONSULTATION ............................................................. 190 7.5 RESPONSES TO THE MANAGEMENT, OVERSIGHT AND PROFESSIONALIZATION OF LITERACY ................................................. 196 7.6 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 206 CHAPTER 8: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS