Literacies and the World

In Dysfunctional Literacies of Exclusion: An Exploration of the Burdens of Literacy in Tisiti Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions by Mandi Chikombero, Chikombero analyses Dangarembga’s novel and its literary references. The novel, which is about “black people’s struggle for resolution among the challenges presented by the conflicting literacies”, the different types of literacies bring about burdens and “Dangarembga offers counsel regarding the need to find the middle ground, which becomes a path to inclusion of all literacies”. Chikombero notes the fact that “the book makes significant contributions to the understanding of Black women’s literacy”. Also, according to Chikombero “classroom literacy is but one kind of literacy, but it is not the only literacy”. She breaks down Dagarembga’s novel to explain that traditional literacy and colonial/modern literacy is included within the text. Also, Dagarembga notes that both forms of literacy are dysfunctional in that they have the same goal; to exclude.

When Chikombero spoke about the different types of literacy in her essay, it reminded me of my own personal life. Upon enrolling in this English Composition course, I was unaware that one’s literate abilities are sometimes a result of their home lives. I have always believed that the only type of literacy was the literacy that came from schools, books and teachers. However, I have learned that literacy has many different definitions as it also results from many different factors. For example, one’s culture, values and beliefs, may determine their literate capabilities.  Personally, I believe that my literacy stems from educational institutions as well as family factors. My teachers and their lessons have taught me educational fundamentals while my family has taught me the fundamentals of the world. On a broader spectrum, my family has taught me the ways of the world and most importantly, how to survive and excel in the world.