Barton, David, & Hamilton, Mary. (1998). Local literacies: Reading and writing in one community. London: Routledge.
They describe some of the ways in which literacy is a social practice (p. 8, Aside 1.1, but further explored through the rest of the chapter):
· Literacy is best understood as a set of social practices; these can be inferred from events which are mediated by written texts. [e.g., baking a pie]
· There are different literacies associated with different domains of life. [e.g., film, cultural, computer, academic, and work place literacy]
· Literacy practices are patterned by social institutions and power relationships, and some literacies become more dominant, visible and influential than others. [e.g., family, religion, libraries, and education]
· Literacy practices are purposeful and embedded in broader social goals and cultural practices. [e.g., cooking, caring for others, reading clubs, political participation, and membership in communities]
· Literacy is historically situated. [both culturally and individually]
· Literacy practices change, and new ones are frequently acquired through processes of informal learning and sense making. [in specific vernacular and formal settings]