Summing up
In this chapter I have given an overview of New Literacy Studies (NLS) as well as New Literacies Studies (NMLS) demonstrating that, far from bringing some semblance of order to a fragmented landscape, they may indeed have added to the confusion. I have used the metaphor of an ‘umbrella term’ to conceptualise academics’ desire to subsume other forms of literacy beneath their favoured term. This, I suggest, prevents terms such as digital literacy entering into the ‘Productive ambiguity’ part of the continuum of ambiguities I outlined in Chapter 5.
Whilst there is some value in the work that goes on in the realm of Creative ambiguity, the case study at the end of this chapter shows that a major player taking up the cause can be a positive step forward. Whilst JISC’s work on digital literacies can be subjected to critique it is, nevertheless, a rallying cry to the UK Higher Education sector that something needs to be done around these issues. Despite this seeming move into the phase of Productive ambiguity, there remains a potential problem. Although institutions not part of the JISC-funded Digital Literacies programme may pick up the outputs from other institutions, there may be some that want something slightly more pragmatic. It is also arguable whether the work funded by JISC will cohere enough to meet the four criteria for a ‘literacy’ I set out in Chapter 3.
Chapter 8: What are (digital) literacies?
‘No man knows, or ever will know, the truth about… everything I speak of;
for even if one chanced to say the complete truth, yet oneself knows it not;
but seeming is wrought over all things.’
(Xenophanes)
In Chapter 3 I noted that for digital literacy to be a tenable proposition it would need to satisfy four main requirements. To recap, these were:
'Cash value'
Retrospective element
Metaphorical element
Digital element
In subsequent chapters I aimed to show that digital literacy is an ambiguous term (Chapter 5), that it is more appropriate to talk of ‘digital literacies’ (Chapter 7) and that a Pragmatic methodology is appropriate to use in this area (Chapter 6). In this chapter I attempt to navigate a path from Creative ambiguity to Productive ambiguity. I revisit the four requirements set out above, analysing the structures upon which new and digital literacies stand as well as focusing upon the ‘digital’ element in ‘digital literacies’.
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