Literacy and Social Process: A Community in Transition
Author(s):
Weinstein-shr, Gail
Format:
Report
Publisher:
1989.
Language:
English
Abstract:
A study of Hmong refugees settling in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) focused on the social resources (e.g., kinship, literacy) available for adapting to life in the United States and the refugees' use of those resources. The study also resulted in profiles of several Hmong adults, documenting language and literacy use in daily life and patterns of interaction with kin and non-kin, within and across ethnic boundaries. The report begins with an introductory chapter on the history of Hmong kinship and literacy in Hmong culture, and then reviews the current situation in Philadelphia. The role of kinship and literacy in the lives of two men is described. The contrasts between these two men, their ways of using literacy and their ways of maintaining/making relationships are placed in the context of Philadelphia's wider community in a general discussion of literacy and the social process. A concluding chapter looks at the study's implications for social science and for educational policy and practice. A 20-item bibliography is included. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)