AaronDeane

3/31/14
ProfessorDutta
LiteracyEssay

MyEthnographyFromParental
Backgrounds

Introduction

Tobeginwith,asignificantamountofindividualfactorsplayrolesinapersons
literacy.Someoftheseexamplesmaycomewiththedemographicsofthehouseholdand
thedifferentwaysthatafamilymaycommunicate.Thecultureofthefamilybackgroundcan
relatetohowapersondevelopsalanguage.Avarietyoffactorsmakeadifferenceonhow
apersonmaydeveloptheirliteracyovertime.IhaveaspecificcriteriathatIwouldliketo
specificallylookatwhenreferringtomyownliteracy.Ithinkthathowapersonrelatesto
literacyisbaisetohowtheirparentstreatliteracy.Thatcorrespondstohowtheywere
raisedtorespondtoeducationandliteracy.
WhenIsatdownandthoughtaboutthedifferentinfluencesinmyliteracymymind
alwaysresortedtomyparents.Inmyhouseholdmyparentsaretwoverydifferentpeopleand
theirdifferencesmayhaveinfluencedthedevelopmentofmyliteracy.Theyeachhaddifferent
educationbackgroundsandalsotheygrewupinverydifferenthouseholds.Thesefactorstook
anactiveroleinmymotherandfatherbothtaughtmetoreadandhowtowrite.Their
techniqueswereunique,butcorrespondedwitheachothersviewsofhowtoteachmybrothers
andI.ThroughtalkingwithmyparentsabouthowmysiblingsandIdevelopedourowncritical
readingandskillsskillsatayoungageIwasabletofindsomespecificfactorsthatwere
differentbetweenmyfatherandmymother.Thecorrelationbetweenmyparentsoriginsand
mychildhoodcouldntbeignored.

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MyParentalOrigins
Tostartwithmyfatherhadaformalfamilybackground.Hisparentsweredivorcedso
hemovedfromManassas,VirginiatoCharlotte,NorthCarolina.Mygrandfatheralways
stressedtheimportanceofaneducationtomyfatherandhowhardworkisthekeytobeing
successful.Myfathersteenageyearswerespentwithfocusprimarilyonschoolsothathe
couldacquirescholarshipstoattendcollege(myfatherisafirstgenerationcollegegraduate).
AttendingahighschoolinthenorthbeforemovingtoCharlotte,helpedhimthroughhishigh
schoolexperiencehere.Thebasicbeliefoftheimportanceofeducationasprimaryfactortoa
personssuccessandachievinganadequateeducationshouldtakepriorityoveranythingelse.
Myfather,LawrenceDeane,isanalumnifromtheUniversityofNorthCarolinaat
Charlotte(UNCC)wherehemajoredincomputerscience.HenowworksforWellsFargoas
aSeniorArchitectofDesignforamajorityofthesecuritysystemsforhisbankingdistrict.
WhenIhaveaskedhimabouthowhehasgottentothepointofhiscareerrightnowhe
attributesthesuccesstohisfamilybackgroundandtheworkethicshisownfatherhadtaught
him.Myfatheralsotalkedabouthowhisfatherprovidedhimwithunwaveringsupporttohelp
himsucceed.
Mymother,JenniferDeane,grewinMintHill,NorthCarolina.Herfamilybackground
wasatypicalsouthernbackgroundwhereeducationwasntaprimaryconcern.Shegrewupin
ahouseholdwhichhadbothparents.Shewastheyoungestofhertwoolderbrothersandone
oldersister.TheyspentthelongsummerdaysinthebackwoodsoftheCharlotteregionplaying
withherbrothersandsisterusingtheimaginativeandcreativemindsetthatsheusestoday.Her
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motherandfather(bothneverattendedcollege)neverencouragedhertoattendcollegeorto
succeedinschool.Bothofherparentsbelievedthatherplacewasinthekitchenworkingto
supportherhusband.Hermotherespeciallydiscouragedherfromanythingthatwasntfitfor
womenandtriedtoconvincehertokeepwithsecretarialwork.
Asinpreviouslystatedherparentswerentsupportiveofhercollegeambitions.My
motherrealizedthatshewaslivingherlifeforherselfaroundhersenioryearofhighschool.She
putforthallofhereffortandaftershemetmyfather(whoencouragedhertoattendcollege)
shedecidedtoattendCentralPiedmontCommunityCollege(CPCC)toearnadegreein
childcare.Althoughshedecidedtojustdropoutandmarrymyfatherwhenhegraduatedfrom
UNCC,shestilltookaboldsteptogotocollege.Theboldstepisevenmoreimpressivethat
shewasafirstgenerationcollegestudentasawomanalthoughshedidn'thaveherparents
approval.

HowMyParentsEachIndividuallyImpactedMyLiteracy
WhenIwasyoungerIneverimmediatelynoticedthedifferencesthatvariedbetween
myparentsandtheirteachingstyles,butastimewentonhowtheypushedmetoobtainapost
secondaryeducation.AsIreflectuponmychildhoodbothofmyparentstheyhaddifferent
opinionsabouthowIshouldberaised.SinceIwasthefirstborn,theyreallyexperimented
withmyliteraciesandhowIwastaughttoreadandwrite.Agreatexampleishowmyfather
triedtoteachtoreadandwrite.
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MyfatherworkedalotwhenIwasyoungersomymothertaughtmemostlyhowto
readandwrite.AlthoughwhenmyfatherhelpedteachmehowtoreadandwriteIcan
rememberhimreadingmorecomplicatedandlongerbookstome.Oneofthesebooks
included,TheHobbitbyJ.R.R.Tolkien.IcanremembermyfatherlettingmybrothersandI
alternatesittingonhislapreadingoverthelinesfromthenovelwithhim.Thiskindofreading
expandedourvocabularyandplacedallofus(mysiblingsandI)inmoreadvancedcourses
throughoutelementaryschool.Whenmyfathershowedussupportinthesemorecomplicated
readingsmayrelatebacktothesupporthereceivedfromhisownfatherwhenhewasyounger
topursueanddevelophisownliteracies.
Whenmyfatherreadtoushedidntsimplyjustreadthebooksbuttriedtoteachusto
takenoteofthingsthatmighthelpusimprovehowwewouldeducateourselvesinthefuture.
Heencouragedustobuynewbookswheneverwewereout.Ifwetookatriptothemalland
stoppedbyBarnesandNoblesorBooksAMillionhewouldalwaysencourageustobuya
bookthatwewereinterestedtopurchase.Thistechniquesparkedmyenthusiasmforreading
whichencouragedmetobecomeanavidreaderinelementaryschool.Afterwereadabookhe
wouldalwaysdiscusswhatwejustreadandgointodetailaboutwhatwethoughtofthebook.
Whenwetalkedaboutwhatwehadreaditthenencouragedustodevelopthoughtsoropinions
abouttheliteracy.Thishelpedmedevelopedevaluatereadingmaterialatyoungage.
Mymothertookadifferentapproachtohelpingusreadandwrite.Shewasaroundme
morethanmyfatherwasattheearlypreschoolphasesofmylife.Whenshegrewupshespent
mostofhertimeusingherimaginationandusedthatmostlyasastructureformysiblingsandI.
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Wespentalotoftimeoutsideandcreatingartsandcraftsprojects.Oneinstancewaswhenwe
wouldpaintpictureswhenmybrothersandIwereyounger.Shewouldhaveuspaintordraw
pictures,butwehadtowriteoutwhatwepaintedordrew.Thishelpedusidentifywhatwords
meantthroughvisualreferences.Thesereferenceshelpedwhenwestartedelementaryschool
bydevelopingtheabilitytorelatevisuallearningtothecomprehensiveknowledgelearnedin
school.
Anotheractivitythatmymotherperformedwasforustoactuallysitdownwithusand
gooverdifferentlettersandwordsindividually.Shestressedthisbecauseofherownparents
lackofincentivetowardshereducation.Ibelievethatmymotherwastryingtoshowthe
importanceofeducationthroughoneononeteaching.Shemighthavebelievedthefocuson
onechildhelpeddemonstratetheimportanceofeducation.Thefocusrelatesbacktohowshe
wishedherparentsshowedaninterestinhereducationwhenshewasyounger.
Whensummertimecamearoundinelementaryschoolmy
mothertriedtomakesurewewerestillreadingandusingourcreative
minds.Shewouldtryandencourageustoreadmultiplebooksduring
ourdowntimeinthesummer.WhenIreflectuponthiscombination,I
canrememberreadingEragonby
ChristopherPaoliniandTheDoors
WithinseriesbyWayneThomas
Batsonandhowweusedthesebookswhenwewentoutsidein
thebackyard.Ourmotherencouragedustoactoutscenesinthe
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backyardfromthebooks.MybrothersandIwouldpretendtobethearchersofYewland
fightingtheevildragoncalledtheWyrmLord.Differentactionsormakebelievestories
helpeduspracticevisualizationandrelatingtothecharacters.Althoughmymothermightnot
haverealizedthis,ourrelationalskillstounderstandingthefeelingsconveyedinthebook
developedbecausewereenactedthescenes.
Myparentsbothworkedtogetheroncertainpointsemphasizeeducation.Theyboth
wouldtakemybrothersandiouttoseeamoviethatwehadjustwatchedthenhaveusevaluate
whichsceneswerenotinthemovie.Thistaughtushowtoevaluatewhatwehadpreviously
readinthebook.ThisactuallycameasagreatassetwhenweweretakingourEndofGrade
tests.Wewereabletomorethoroughlyevaluatethecriticalreadingpartsandanswerquestions
moreaccurately.Asaresult,ofapossiblescoreofafourinthecriticalreadingportion,Inever
scoredlowerthanafouronanyofmyelementaryschoollevelexams.
Conclusion
Toconcludethisethnographytheassumptionhasbeenmadethatthevariablesfrom
whichourparentsareraisedwith.Ourparentsgivetheirchildrentheeducationthattheyover
timehavecometobelievethatisthemostimportanttothem.Myrecollectionofmyown
childhoodcanbecomparedtothatofmyparents.Myownchildhoodhasstoodwitnesstothe
differentapproachesthatmyparentstooktoteachmehowtonotonlyreadbuttocomprehend
whatIread.
Throughoutthisstudy,notonlywasIabletoreflectontherelationshipbetweenmy
childhoodandmyparentschildhoodbutIwasabletoseetraitsinhowIreadtodaythat
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resultedfrommyfatherandmothersteachingstyles.OneinstanceisthatIconsistentlyfind
myselfrelatingtothecharactersthatappearinthebookandhowIwouldfeelifIwasintheir
shoes.Thiscomponentisduetomymotherembracingthefacttheshewentoutsideallofthe
timeandcombinedourreadingwithgoingoutside.
AsIsaidIhavesaidintheopeningpage,myfathervaluededucationandvalueda
systemofsupportfromthefamily.Hissupportivefamilybackgroundcontributedtowayhe
wouldreadtousandmakesurewetookturnsreading.Thebondingtimethatwasprovided
throughthisactionbringswarmmemoriestoreadingandmaycontributetomyfamilysinterest
inreading.ThisencouragementhelpedmybrothersandIfeelsecureenoughtostepoutofour
typicalcomfortzonesandtakeriskssothatwecanaccomplishoureducationalgoals.
ThroughprovidedexamplesthroughoutthepaperIhaveproventhatmyparentshave
providedananewviewonhowIviewmyliteraciesandalsohowtheyhavedeveloped.
Everythingthatmyparentshaveusedfromtheirownexperienceshadaprofoundeffectonmy
readingcapabilitiesandalsomywritingskills.theyhaveopenedmymindstonewideas.Iam
notonlywritinganethnography,butathankyoutomyparentsforthesupportandeffortsinto
myliteracy.
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