Chapter 3: Monocultural Literacy: The Power of Print, Pedagogy, and Epsitemological Blindness

Hassett and Grant introduce their 2001 chapter by situating it in its historical context at the turn of the century, asking us not only to consider what has changed and what has not, but more importantly, how change can and does occur in the face of normalized power structures. The chapter itself calls into question traditional assumptions about literacy education including assumptions about the power of alphabetic print, assumptions about developmental literacy learning, and assumptions about best teaching practice. The dangers of these assumptions are discussed, and the authors conclude that to think outside of such normalized and institutionalized forms of dominance requires acute mindfulness of inequalities and the mutual exchange of ideas.