I have always preferred the theoretical notion that literacy is related to discourses we participate in. By viewing a person’s communication, whether it is spoken, written, or presented in a mixed media format, as that of a participating in a discourse community, the senses of relationship and responsibility come into play; each participant is a member of a community and all the pieces and parts that go with that concept. Lankshear and Knobel (2006) define literacies as “socially recognized ways of generating, communicating and negotiating meaningful content through the medium of encoded texts with contexts of participation in Discourses (or, as members of Discourses)” (p. 64). This definition fits snuggly into my theoretical followings of discourse communities and the recognition that literacy is, basically, the way we present our ideas and texts in a socially recognized format.
One of the things that I enjoy most about the “new” literacies we find on the internet and in mixed media presentations is that these forms of communication are much more participatory, more collaborative, and less author-centered than the texts of the past. Plato believed that all literature was a meager imitation of the real thing; no new ideas came from anything written. Yet, today we can find numerous sources where authors around the globe have collaborated on an online journal article, written a short story together, or had brainstorm sessions in online discussion forums, chats, and via instant messaging or text messaging. Inside information comes through blogs, youtube videos, wikis, and websites. People even fall in meet and fall in love while gaming online! So, the idea that nothing new is ever written or discussed, that literacy is a minor imitation of reality is no longer a plausible argument – fortunately, Plato has been proven wrong.
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