Incarcerated Fathers and Family Literacy: Family Literacy Beyond the Home

• In Event: Expanding Notions of Family Literacy Across Time and Communities

Abstract

Research on family literacy that examines literacy practices for parents and children separated from each other for reasons such as incarceration, homelessness or rehabilitation is almost non-existent, with a notable exception being the work of Muth (2011, 2016), who has documented the literacy practices and identities of fathers in prison. This absence represents a significant gap in our understanding, particularly since many families include a parent or caregiver who is separated from their children. Literacy can be an important bridge between children and adults. Many of the programs for families involve activities such as reading books together or writing letters to each other (i.e., Hammack, Foote, Garretson, & Thompson, 2012) and can be modified for long distances, either by incorporating technology or adapting activities for other contexts. Family reading programs also have reciprocal benefits, enhancing social and cultural connections and educational understanding of the adults involved with children (Chao & Mantero, 2014).
This presentation presents findings from a qualitative study, documenting a group of formerly incarcerated fathers, who are currently homeless and in a rehabilitation program, as they respond to children’s literature and discuss opportunities for reading with their children. The following research questions guided this inquiry:
1. How do formerly incarcerated fathers read and respond to children’s literature in a small-group setting and how do these reading experiences affect their interactions with their children?
2. What ways can family literacy be reconceptualized to explore literacy practices beyond the home for families who are separated by circumstances such as incarceration?
This study is informed by a sociocultural framework, recognizing that social institutions, cultural contexts, and power relations affect human experiences (Chao & Mantero, 2014; Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2006). In addition, transactional theories of reading response support the notion that readers respond to literature based on their own experiences or worldviews (Rosenblatt, 1994; Sipe, 2008). Qualitative techniques of participant-observation and descriptive analysis were used to document reading sessions and narrative analysis was used to analyze data (Creswell & Poth, 2017; Riessman, 2013). Data were collected during six readaloud sessions and one debriefing session. Readaloud sessions were comprised of four parts: 1.) Introducing and reading a picturebook; 2.) Open-ended discussion of how the fathers might read the books with their children; 3.) Reading another adult-oriented text, such as a poem or brief reflection; and 4.) Allowing for time to journal or draw reflections. Data was analyzed using Riessman’s (2008, 2013) process of narrative analysis to explore how responding to literature provided an entree to discussions of parenting and relationships with children.
Findings demonstrate how children’s literature encourages conversations among the participants about dealing with relationship changes with their children, expressing fears about transitioning to the public sphere, questions or concerns about how to communicate and express emotions as fathers and their own understanding of their identity as a parent. Understanding the various ways that family literacy can be expanded to include parenting from afar allows for more inclusive literacy practices that build on the relationships and knowledge of families.

Author

• Angela Michelle Wiseman, North Carolina State University