Daughters as “guiding lights” of literacy in Afghan refugee families in Pakistan

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 1:45 pm
  In Poster Session: Literacy in Afghan Refugee Families

Abstract

This study draws on five months of ethnographic fieldwork with Afghan refugee families in Pakistan and centers the often-overlooked roles that young girls play in shaping literacy and language practices at home and in their communities. Focusing on two girls, Safa and Seemena, the study shows how they supported both family members and neighbors through tutoring, translating, and explaining texts across Pashto, Urdu, and English. Their roles as teachers and brokers reveal that literacy flowed in multidirectional ways, challenging traditional ideas about age and authority. Grounded in sociocultural and bioecological theories, this research highlights the transgenerational literacy practices present in refugee households—practices rich in meaning, responsibility, and care, yet often overlooked in educational contexts.

Author

• Assadullah Sadiq, California State University - Channel Islands