Literacy, Learning and Health – A social practices view of health literacy

dc.creator	Uta Papen
dc.date	2009-10-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:37:09Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:37:09Z
dc.identifier	1441-0559
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/a92057c71701443fbe62f6e1b5e99cec
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/23042
dc.description	In this paper, I use a social practices view of literacy to challenge dominant conceptions of health literacy. Health literacy is frequently defined as an abstract skill that can be measured through individual performance tests. The concept of health literacy as a skill neglects the contextual nature of reading and writing in health care settings. It risks ignoring the many ways in which patients access and comprehend health information, make sense of their experience and the resources they draw on. The paper presents findings from a study of forty five literacy and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students’ health-related reading and writing practices in the north-west of England. I suggest that health literacy needs to be understood as a situated social practice and that it is a shared resource frequently achieved collectively by groups of people, for example families. I conclude with some reflections on the implications of my research for adult education practice.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	University of Technology, Sydney
dc.relation	http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/lnj/article/view/1275
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1441-0559
dc.rights	CC BY
dc.source	Literacy and Numeracy Studies, Vol 0, Iss 0 (2009)
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.title	Literacy, Learning and Health – A social practices view of health literacy
dc.type	article