Description: Describes the experiences of a group of adult Brazilian women in a literacy program with explicit emancipatory objectives.
Brief description: Nelly P. Stromquist is Professor of International Development Education in the School of Education at the University of Southern California.
Review Quotes:
"Nelly Stromquist's case study of the MOVA (Movimento de Alfabetizacao de Jovens e Adultos) literacy program in Sao Paulo, Brazil between 1989 and 1993, is a significant contribution to the literature on education and development. It provides insights into the limitations of many current theories concerning the potential of literacy and adult basic education programs, even those with declared 'emancipatory' goals, to effect personal and social change. At the same time, the detailed information obtained by her use of feminist and sociocultural perspectives, and her attention to the individual voices of the participants in this ambitious literacy program, enhances our understanding of what factors shape the acquisition, uses, and outcomes of literacy skills. While the focus is on how a progressive literacy program may or may not benefit women, many of the findings, I believe, have universal relevance." -- from the Foreword by Dr. Robert Arnove