1. Chapter 50: Adopting Multiple Stances in Conducting Literacy Research Presented by: Mary Howell & Linda Park

2. Introduction “Literacy has less to do with overt acts of reading and writing than it does with the underlying postures toward language” (Brandt, 1985, p. 128)

3. Four Stances for Literacy Research CULTURALTEXTUAL SOCIAL FIELD / DISCIPLINARY multidimensional limits understanding Applying combinations of these stances and considering their interactions yields a multidimensional insight into literacy development. Adopting only one stance limits understanding of literacy development.

4. Textual Stance Focus is on readers’ or writers’ knowledge of text, literary, or genre conventions. Any literacy event is based on links to a vast network of other related texts and events, as well as their historical context.  Researchers can use combined Social + Textual stance to examine how text knowledge is formed and how intertextual links are learned and facilitated in social contexts.

5. Social Stance Focus is placed on viewing literacy as a social act (Nystrand, 1990) Emphasis is placed on the particular & unique aspects of any literacy event, especially related to the reader or writer. It is important to consider the influences of cultural differences of social behavior.

6. Cultural Stance Focus is on how a person’s culture influences the person’s literacy experiences Cultural practices to consider include gender, ethnicity, class, home, school, dominance, celebrations, rituals

7. Field / Disciplinary Stance Consider how a person’s literacy practices are related to a particular field, domain, discipline. Is knowledge general or domain-specific?

8. Purpose of Article  To demonstrate that a researcher’s stance during the research process affects what is studied and how it is interpreted.  To propose an integrated stance to research in order to better illuminate how literacy relates to the person and to inform student-centered, differentiated instructional practice.

9. Assumptions  The researcher is cognizant of the research stance/s prior to beginning the research process.  The researcher is knowledgeable in the particular field / discipline being studied (example: medicine or math) and is studying the domain-specific knowledge as it is used in “real world” contexts.

10. Limitations  Influences such as gender, ethnicity, dominance, celebrations, values, and rituals may be so ingrained within the researcher that he or she is not aware of personal biases or blind spots in his or her research process.