The Politics of Writing

Writing matters: it plays a key role in the circulation of ideas in society and has a direct impact on the development of democracy. But only a few get to do the kind of writing that most influence this development. The Politics of Writing examines writing as a social practice. The authors draw on critical linguistics, cultural studies and literacy studies, as they explore and analyse: * the social context in which writing is embedded * the processes and practices of writing * the purposes of writing * the reader-writer relationship * issues of writer identity. They challenge current notions of 'correctness' and argue for a more democratic pedagogy as part of the answer to the inequitable distribution of the right to write.

Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Writing, Politics and Power; Chapter 3 Writing and Social Context; Chapter 4 Writing Processes and Practices; Chapter 5 Why Write?; Chapter 6; Chapter 7 The Role of the Reader in Writing; Chapter 8 Issues of Correctness and Standardisation in Writing; Chapter 9 Social and Educational Implications of Our View of Writing;

Romy Clark coordinates the Academic Support Programme at Lancaster University.