Exploring Literacy Practices in the Dalit and Women Life Narratives

In this article, I examine eight autobiographies of women and Dalits, published close to 100 years apart, with specific attention to literacy practices. Paying close attention to life narratives of the marginalized in literacy studies serves three purposes—brings the children’s experiences (home and schooling) to the centre of educational and literacy discourse, making possible reflection on silences and gaps; brings focus on pedagogy as much as on content; and lastly, helps teachers to connect with children and their life worlds. Some questions that are explored in the article are: What does reading mean to children, especially from the marginalized communities; how does being a girl or a Dalit intersect with schooling and reading experience; how and where do the children access stories and storybooks; and what is the prevalent pedagogy of reading and what are the alternatives. The four themes that I discuss in the article are pedagogy of reading; reading as both an awakening and a burden; the intimate relationship between schooling, learning and punishments; and lastly, the stories heard and storybooks read by the authors.