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Spelling ‘Mississippi’: Recontextualizing a Literacy‐Related Speech Event
Author(s) -
Gilmore Perry
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
anthropology and education quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1548-1492
pISSN - 0161-7761
DOI - 10.1525/aeq.1983.14.4.05x1588b
Subject(s) - rhyme , repertoire , literacy , spelling , linguistics , competence (human resources) , event (particle physics) , sociology , psychology , pedagogy , social psychology , literature , art , poetry , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics
This article examines steps , a distinctive genre of black street rhyme, as a literacy‐related speech event and as a social statement made by its performers. The analysis shows that despite the presence and demonstration of language and literacy competence, the performers never were seen as possessing such skills because displays of their school‐required abilities were recontextualized in peer group activities that were considered part of black “street” repertoire. The features, functions, meanings and symbolic interpretations of this controversial speech event, which was banned from the school, are examined.