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Study Group 1: Community and Culture
Study Group Moderator: Erik Mørk Pedersen
The Impact of Community and Culture on Reading
Erik has been working with reading for many years as a teacher of reading and as an adviser to schools and parents. Besides he has participated in some studies on reading and other educational topics in which attitudes to actual problems and tasks could be seen as a reflection of the local and/or national culture.
What this study group is about:
Dear Colleagues
It is the aim of this study group to deal with the cultural impact of community and social and economic conditions on reading. The idea is that cultural aspects, the ways we are thinking, living and acting necessarily determine or at least have a strong influence on all aspects of reading: at home, in school, at work and at leisure time, with children as well as adults. For this study group I propose that at first we should deal with good and bad things that culture imparts to our children in relation to reading, before they start school, and after leaving school.
Starting from these few sentences I invite you to discuss 'the environment for reading' away from school, e.g. the environment in which we are 'wrapped up' all of us - adults, school children, infants etc.
What is good and what is bad of this wrapping? What impact has the culture of a community on developing and using an appropriate competence in reading? And how could you define an appropriate competence in reading? Is it possible to point out aspects of culture which may counteract/promote the development of an appropriate competence in reading?
The two other study groups deal with reading in school. As teaching and school life, according to the idea mentioned above, are likewise determined by cultural influence it is natural that questions will be raised in the other groups which may be of interest for this group, and therefore don't hesitate to bring up these disussions here.
For a start of the discussions in this study group I should like to ask for contributions, that descibe your experiences and points of view, examples of good practise, research, reading references etc. related to 'culture-community-reading'.
Hoping for a lot of contributions and fruitful discussions -
Erik
