Urban Literacy. Communication, Identity and Learning in Development Contexts

Views on development have for many years focused on the status of the rural poor living in villages dominated by traditional economic, political and social patterns. Recent discussions of poverty reduction, however, have succeeded in drawing attention to the important role played by the inhabitants of cities and towns in the dynamics of development. This volume significantly advances these discussions by thematizing the relation of urbanization and literacy, literacy practices in urban settings, and literacy and livelihoods. The fruit of a two-year research project, this collection presents case studies from development contexts complemented by analyses which aim at a more refined understanding of what literacy can mean in urban settings. This work should command the attention of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners worldwide concerned with adult literacy and adult education and their manifold and subtle interconnections with pressing issues of economic, political and social development.