Social Linguistics and Literacies: Gee provides further proof of Ideology in Discourses. James literacy's ties to social behaviour. Paul Gee. Bristol, PA: The Pal- He also acknowledges that the mer Press, 1990. xxi + 203 pp. indivisible bonds linking language use and social interaction have serious consequences, especially Many people in "literate" societies, when literacy is deployed to wreak when asked to define literacy, al- injustice on individuals or groups. most always do so in terms of read- Like earlier "New Literacy" re- ing and writing abilities. This searchers, Gee exposes the covert narrow interpretation of literacy, an function of reductionist literacy offspring of reductionist psychol- paradigms, namely their justifica- ogy, has reigned supreme in many tion of educational practices that academic and educational contexts are party to social, economic, and for decades, greatly shaping political inequities. literacy theories and classroom Despite these similarities, practices. Within the past ten years, Social Linguistics and Literacies however, a large body of multidis- (henceforth, SL&L) departs from ciplinary research has begun to un- other "New Literacy Studies" in the dermine the authority of this specific theoretical and pedagogi- perspective by situating literacy in cal alternatives it proposes. Ac- larger social practices. cording to Gee, this volume Support for this emerging "...constitutes an overt theory of interdisciplinary perspective has literacy and socially-based linguis- grown, and an increasing emphasis tics" (Introduction: xx) that has been placed on the interplay counters traditional views and between language, educational frames literacy in terms of abilities practice, and societal features of to display various social identities. power and domination. A "cutting Just as actors need more than lines edge" exemplar of such work can to convincingly depict their charac- be found in a series of monographs, ters, Gee argues that all humans anthologies, and textbooks entitled engaged in any sort of social "Critical Perspectives on Literacy interaction must successfully in- and Education." Social Linguistics tegrate specific attitudes, beliefs, and Literacies: Ideology in Dis- behaviours, thoughts and uses of courses, the hook reviewed here, is language. Moreover, humans must the introduction to this collection. be able to combine these elements Firmly located within the paradigm in a myriad of ways in order to of "social" approaches to literacy, exhibit different social identities. or what Gee calls the "New Consequently, literacy as a mass Literacy Studies," this volume term gives way to literacies as a validates many previous research count term. findings and also makes some These ideas are thought- unique contributions. provoking and controversial, yet Ilha do Desterro 29, 1993 pp 139-146 1 40 Reviews / Resenhas rife with implications for language Two, "Introduction to a Social education. Despite the wall of Linguistics -, and finishing with the denial erected by psychological close of part Three, "A Theory of reductionism, many academic re- Discourses". The visual metaphor searchers have grappled with these is that of a pyramid viewed from issues and even tried to offer the bottom up. The first part, educational solutions. SL&L takes covering the greatest range of on this dualistic function of issues, is akin to the base of this criticism and suggestions for pyramid. Moving upwards, the change. Other North American second part resembles the narrow- researchers attempting this task ing of the pyramid as the author include the "Critical Pedagogy" zeroes in on the particulars of devotees of Freire's emancipatory language. Part Three, the literacy philosophy (cf. McLaren, pyramid's apex, consists of Gee's 1989; Giroux, 1988). In the eyes of precise and straightforward theory practitioners, many of these re- of Discourses and literacies. Aural- searchers succeed as critics yet fail ly, one is reminded of a jazz score to be constructive. played live where different phases Gee may be an exception are evident, yet certain chords and here, too, given his efforts to sequences are repeated throughout maximize comprehension and min- the song. Major themes and issues imize frustration by avoiding ex- resonate throughout the three parts, cessive technical jargon, cryptic albeit at different tempos and in references, and abstract theorizing different keys, complementing the devoid of concrete examples. Gee's hierarchy of these parts. project is all the more distinctive The rationale for the volume because of the deftness with which as a whole is rare indeed as it stems he coherently synthesizes issues from a moral mandate to reconcep- from a diverse range of perspec- tualize language use, social tives, some of which include theories, and educational practices. literary criticism, formal linguistic The mandate draws its strength theory, poststructuralist social largely from a careful historical theory, comparative education, cul- analysis of literacy undertaken in tural anthropology, and critical Part One. This history, according to language studies. Gee, is a story of people's attempts The rhetorical layout of this to resolve literacy's fundamental volume gives it an unusual struc- contradiction: regardless of its ture. To appreciate its inherent oppressive or liberating capacities, logic, readers will need to focus on literacy cannot be immune to the the volume's three parts, not the sociopolitical influences of human seven chapters that go into these relations. Specifically, interpreta- parts. Impressionistically, at least tions, definitions, and expectations to this reviewer, the structuring of governing literacy are always these parts takes on both a visual subject to the vagaries of human and aural flavor when going from motives for solidarity and status. part One, "Background", to part Gee sees no easy resolution to Reviews I Resenhas 141 this contradiction, unlike those book, and the moral principle who seize upon solutions which rip concerned with their explication is literacy from its social and political one Gee dubs a "Conceptual origins. Gee claims that these are Principle Governing Human Dis- "facile" attempts spurred on by the course." parade of "myths" about literacy's Part One goes beyond the great potential for improving theoretical realm to provide con- political systems, social relations, temporary evidence in support of and even individual intellectual the moral basis behind Gee's "overt abilities. What has sustained these theory of literacy." Shirley Brice- myths so far, especially in educa- Heath's Ways with Words is a tion both in North America and seminal example of this current abroad, are "scientific" distinctions work. Heath's work stresses the between oral and literate cultures socially situated nature of literacy (see for example Goody, 1977; practices, advocating not a singular Ong, 1982; and Havelock, 1963) literacy of the mind, but multiple Beneath the fanfare and "facts," literacies of the various social however, lurks a darker side where milieus. Heath's now-classic study literacy's capacity to oppress is has served as both a "New Literacy very real to those labelled "il- Studies" attack on the "oral- literate" or "functionally literate." literate" distinction as well as an By confronting this con- insightful glimpse into the connec- tradiction, Gee discloses many tions between home-based lan- unpleasant moments in literacy's guage practices and one's later history that continually reappear. success or failure at school. Their eradication is the goal behind Because of its clarity and the "moral basis" of Gee's efforts. relevance, Heath's study is useful Because terms like literacy are for illustrating the major issues in often implicated in the larger social this volume. inequities of "literate" societies, For those not familiar with the author claims that any attempt this research, Heath conducted an to designate "human" in the ethnography of the home-based honorific sense must render the interactions existing in three dif- how's and why's behind their use ferent Carolina Piedmont com- of these terms as overtly as munities: 1) Trackton, a black possible. He adds that such an working class community; 2) endeavour should be the primary Roadville, a white working class, function of education given that (in strongly Fundamentalist com- "literate" societies) one's level of munity; and 3) the mainstream academic success often strongly middle-class residents of Main- corresponds to one's social and town. The outstanding element in economic standing later in life. The Heath's study was her comparison generalizations and reasons we of language practices in these employ to make sense of concepts homes with those of the school. like social relations and language Hcr findings vividly depict use are called ideologies in this how schools can function to 142 Reviews / Resenhas marginalize "non-mainstream" assumed to be. Much of what populations even at the level of insures conformity to the norms of seemingly insignificant talk. The some groups and not others is the Piedmont schools mirrored many perpetual need Gee claims we all of the language practices, including have for status and solidarity with reading and writing behaviours, others. found in the mainstream homes. The teachers in Heath 's study This large overlap in early home- could be described as having and school-based language prac- cultural models often at odds with tices ensured that mainstream the non-mainstream pupils.