A Deep Dive Into How Critical Literacy Experts Advance Equity and Social Justice: Definitions and Practices

Background

In addition to scholarly work in the area of literacies and new literacies in particular, current sociopolitical issues serve as proof that the traditional definition of literacy as the ability to read and write is antiquated and limited. This definition does not adequately deconstruct inherent complexities, nor does it encompass the wide range of nuanced critical skills needed for individuals to make informed decisions and actions in today’s dynamic, globalized society. Further, these limited definitions do not fully encapsulate the purpose of education in terms of its role in developing global citizens. The authors agree with the assertion that education must foster global citizenship (Pacho, 2020) and that it is ‘about more than literacy and numeracy – it is also about citizenry. Education must fully assume its essential role in helping people to forge more just, peaceful and tolerant societies’ (United Nations, 2012, p. 8). In addition, the authors also acknowledge that global citizenship – as well as issues of equity and social justice – is an important theme that is capturing the attention of scholars, practitioners, and others who are interested in a socially just world, especially in education contexts (see Comber, 2015; Janks, 2017).

In discussing critical literacy, Luke (2012) highlighted the ‘possibility of using new literacies to change relations of power, both peoples’ everyday social relations and larger geopolitical and economic relations’ (p. 9). In light of this and given the importance of critical literacies in daily interactions, it is timely to center efforts on increasing our understanding of how non-traditional, critical literacies can be developed and used to promote diversity and inclusion, while increasing equity and social justice in the classroom and beyond. Robinson et al. (2021) define new, critical literacies as ‘knowledge, skills, and abilities in distinct areas of teaching and learning, focused on promoting critical thinking, informed behaviors, and equitable actions’ (para. 10). These authors also emphasized the fact that fostering non-traditional, critical literacies supports global citizenship. In this chapter, the authors focus on the development of equity and social justice literacies in practice, and they support the idea that the development of a variety of other non-traditional, critical literacies can serve as a means of fostering global citizenship.

Considering the ideas and practices related to inclusion, equity, and social justice, which Ryan (2010) grouped together as a family focused on the same goal of dismantling structural issues, the authors reference the Critical Literacies Advancement Model (CLAM; Robinson, 2020, 2021) to draw attention to the Social Justice Literacies category described therein. This category is important because it encompasses literacies such as racial literacy, gender literacy, human rights literacy, equity literacy, social justice literacy, and the like. Admittedly, while this category of literacies is broad and while the model indicates the dynamic interconnectedness of these with other literacies, for the purposes of this study, the authors focus specifically on equity literacy and social justice literacy. The primary reason for selecting these literacies is their prominence in diverse contexts of today’s society and the ambiguity that still exists in defining these concepts and advancing them in practice. Further, it is important to provide practical considerations for how we can advance equity and social justice literacy development and promote global citizenship.