Articulating the Linkages Between Literacy and Democracy in the COVID-19 Era: Toward an Equitable Future

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Toward Critical Enactments of Democratic Citizenship Education

Abstract

In this theoretical paper, I am to articulate the linkages between literacy and democracy in the post-pandemic, 21st Century United States. Drawing on historical manuscripts, current events as well as theoretical and empirical scholarship, this paper ultimately argues that K-12 literacy education is one of our best hopes for strengthening and sustaining U.S. democracy, and in turn, democracy alone can create the conditions for expansive, critical literacy education. Implications for incorporating democratic and literacy education across content areas and institutions are provided and discussed.

Author

• Jessica Masterson, Washington State University - Vancouver