Rural Literacies (Studies in Writing and Rhetoric)

Rural Literacies identifies the problems inherent in trying to understand rural literacy, addresses the lack of substantive research on literacy in rural areas, and reviews traditional misrepresentations of rural literacy.




This innovative volume frames debates over literacy in relation to larger social, political, and economic forces, such as the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on rural schools and the effects of out-migration, globalization, and the loss of small family farms on rural communities.




Drawing upon traditional literacy and composition research and employing theory from education and sociology, the text engages compositionists in broader conversations regarding rural literacies. The authors share strategies that will help compositionists participate in pedagogies that are rooted in a richer understanding of rural literacies and work toward sustainability for all communities in a globalized age.

Kim Donehower is an assistant professor of English and the director of the Red River Valley writing project at the University of North Dakota.

Charlotte Hogg is an assistant professor of English at Texas Christian University.

Eileen E. Schell is an associate professor of writing and rhetoric and the director of the composition and cultural rhetoric doctoral program at Syracuse University.