An Ethnography of Listening in a Southern Inner-City Adult Learning Center
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1996 Black Women's Listening: An Ethnography of Listening in a Southern Inner-City Adult Learning Center. Jennifer Ann Falls Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Falls, Jennifer Ann, "Black Women's Listening: An Ethnography of Listening in a Southern Inner-City Adult Learning Center." (1996). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6337. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6337 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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BLACK WOMEN’S LISTENING: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF LISTENING IN A SOUTHERN INNER-CITY ADULT LEARNING CENTER A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Curriculum and Instruction by Jennifer Ann Falls B.S., University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1970 M. A., McNeese State University, 1988 December, 1996 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9720351 UMI Microform 9720351 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to express my sincerest gratitude to those who supported me during this dissertation process. First, i want to acknowledge Estelle St. Romain Falls, my mother, for teaching me that listening meant loving and accepting others, and William Frank Falls, my father, for teaching me that there are many meanings and many perspectives in life. I thank my daughter, Casey Couvillon-Colosky, for her faith in me and her assistance in preparing my final dissertation defense. I also wish to express my gratitude for the personal and professional support of my doctoral committee. My words are inadequate to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Janice Stuhlmann, my major advisor and friend, whose energy, enthusiasm, and commitment empowered me to believe in myself, my writing, and my research. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Miles Richardson, my minor advisor and mentor, for believing in this research project and in my abilities as an ethnographic researcher and for teaching me that “something magical happens . .. the world shifts a bit... if we will but listen” and allow others “to instruct us in the old, old lesson of being human” (1990:25). I also wish to thank Dr. Bill Pinar who helped me to discover my own voice and to recognize the importance of listening to myself in order to be able to listen to others. ' thank Dr. Earl Cheek whose support and encouragement, at a most critical time, significantly influenced my decision to continue this research. I also thank Dr. Harold Mixon whose critical eye and questions were so valuable ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. in this final text, i am also very grateful to Dr. Donna Mealey who first introduced me to the field of adult literacy education and to Lakota Center. For the many friends and family members who supported me in countless ways during this arduous process, I am deeply grateful. In particular, I thank Elinor Craven, my dear friend, whose generosity, support, and friendship were always available. I thank Fay Walker, John Robinson, Eva Couvillon, Lessie St. Romain, Virginia Bush, Shelia Lusins, Glen Ehrett, Susan Moore, Taylor Powers, Lonnie Didier, and Bonnie Grayson for their time, patience, and willingness to read, to edit, and to listen. I am grateful to the staff and students of Lakota Center for allowing me to listen and to learn from them. I extend my special thanks to those whose real names I cannot use: Mr. Meaux, the project manager, whose assistance and acceptance were essential in obtaining permission to research at Lakota; Lois, Lakota’s secretary, whose patience with my many questions was unending; the teachers, who opened their classrooms to me; Mr. Blake, the janitor, who always greeted me with a warm smile and cheerful voice; and the ladies, who allowed me to participate in and often interrupt their literacy work. Finally, I thank Sophia, La Doi, Emelda, and Doris Ann who allowed me to follow them into their world. I am indebted to Sophia, my new and dear friend, who provided personal and professional support and encouragement during this research project. I am grateful that in our continuing friendship I continue to learn about African American women, listening, and literacy. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................................ii ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ONE EXPLORING WOMEN’S LISTENING AND WOMEN’S LITERACYWORK.. 1 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................. 1 Research Questions ................................................................................2 Terminology ............................................................................................ 2 Context of the Study ................................................................................ 3 Research Methodology ............................................................................6 Importance of the Study as It Relates to the Literature .......................... 8 Theoretical Perspective ........................................................................11 Background of the Study ......................................................................13 Significance of the Study ..................................................................... 26 S um m ary ................................................................................................ 27 CHAPTER TWO REVIEWING LITERATURE: LISTENING TO DISCOURSE COMMUNITIES ................................................................................................ 29 Listening: The Hidden Side of Language ............................................... 30 Listening and Symbolic Interactionism ................................................. 36 Literacy: "Cultural Wisdom" and "Communicative Competence" 38 Listening and Learning: Communication and Culture ............................. 39 Listening, Literacy, and Social Interaction ...............................................46 CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: ASKING NEW QUESTIONS AND EXPLORING NEW MEANINGS ............................................................. 48 Research Strategy ................................................................................ 50 Data Sources ........................................................................................ 72 Data Analysis ........................................................................................ 78 Writing the Ethnography ........................................................................79 Limitations of the S tudy ..........................................................................85 Ethical Issues ........................................................................................ 87