Identity is a complex concept with multi-faceted disciplinary references, and one which is universally seen as an ongoing dynamic process of self-construction. It is a process whereby individuals turn to a range of labels denoting identity, express their own sense of self and experience individual and social resonance – whether in connection with themselves, other individuals, or the broader public. This self-construction is in turn constantly shaped by social and cultural norms.
In our world of writing and media, literacy plays a definitive role in shaping identity. Reading and writing lead people to engage with the knowledge, values, and aesthetics of their respective environments. These activities see them communicating with others, discovering similarities and differences as they do. They identify with social groups or reject these. Literacy practices mean individuals locate and develop their world views and their understanding of self.
Social groups, too, present their public face by means of the written word and other forms of media expression. Communicating in this way means individuals can draw on options for identification and develop their group identities in discourse. The resulting boundaries foster both belonging and exclusion. Our world is influenced by a range of assorted categories of difference, meaning we should ask ourselves what an identity formation which transcends mechanisms of inequality might look like. More
In this issue of literacyforum.ch we have chosen to focus on the connections between identity and literacy. Natascha Naujok explores the significance of reading and writing in autobiographical texts written by aspiring practitioners of childhood education. After outlining and explaining a scheme of work centring on identity for grammar school literature teaching, Volker Frederking engages in a related critical analysis. Caroline Scheepers and Renaud Maes analyse the implications of differentiated writing practices on the identity construction of new students. Laetitia Progin and Katja Vanini De Carlo explore training programmes for school leaders where reading and storytelling feature in constructing professional identity. Léa Couturier, Carole-Anne Deschoux, Laetitia Mauroux, Sandrine Angeloz Huguenot and Stéphanie Burton offer insights into the importance of writing for professional identity in a further education programme for librarians. Deli Salini examines the role the telling of fairy stories can play in fostering reading competence and shaping identity in adults. Anke Werani and Enrico Strathausen analyse how individual and group identities are negotiated in communication through chats. Writing about the self is also an important dimension in the life and work of sociologist David Le Breton, offering a space for sharing and for reconciling the self with others. Lastly, in her essay, Ivna Žic shares insights into the role of literary writing in the search for identity and a linguistic expression of her own.
Dieter Isler and Carole-Anne Deschoux