Multiple ways of writing
This reading response effectively demonstrates my awareness of multiple ways of writing by critically engaging with Brandt’s concept of literacy sponsorship and connecting it to contemporary digital and social contexts. While the response is primarily composed in standard academic English, it implicitly supports multiliteracies by referencing a wide range of literacy practices, including digital navigation, assisted writing, and the use of professional and legal discourse by marginalized groups.
The discussion of “misappropriation” (Brandt, p. 179) and the creative ways individuals subvert traditional literacy sponsorship reflects my understanding of how multimodal and nontraditional literacies empower users beyond formal instruction. Also, aiming the proposal to extend Brandt’s research into digital literacy invites integration of technological and algorithmic literacies as useful and strategic modes of communication. Though this piece could go further by incorporating actual multimodal or multilingual elements, it succeeds in recognizing how literacy operates across multiple domains, supporting my goal of analyzing power and access through literacy.
Reading Response: Brandt and Literacies
Reading Response: Brandt and Literacies
Literacy is not just something people learn in a vacuum. It is shaped by larger forces in society.
Brandt (1998) defines sponsors of literacy as "any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract,
who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy
and gain advantage by it in some way" (p. 166). These sponsors can be schools, governments,
businesses, or even family members. For example, when parents encourage children to read at
home, they act as sponsors, but some children do not have that advantage. Brandt (p. 167)
makes it clear that sponsorship is not just about teaching people to read and write, it is about
control. Those who have access to literacy sponsorship get ahead, while those without it face
significant obstacles.
Brandt points out that literacy sponsorship is not always neutral or fair. The wealthy have
access to elite schools, private tutors, and a network of educated mentors, while those from
lower income backgrounds struggle to find similar resources. Brandt (p. 170) compares two
individuals, Raymond Branch and Dora Lopez, to demonstrate this inequality. Raymond, whose
father was a professor, had access to computers and cutting edge technology from an early
age, which put him on the path to a successful career in programming.
Misusing Literacy Sponsorship
Sometimes, those who receive sponsorship use it in ways their sponsors did not intend. Brandt
(p. 179) calls this "misappropriation," which occurs when people take the literacy resources they
are given and apply them in ways that go beyond or even contradict their sponsor's original
purpose. One historical example Brandt provides is how enslaved people secretly taught each
other to read despite laws prohibiting it (p. 168). Another example she discusses is how women
working as secretaries used their knowledge of office administration to gain independence
beyond what their employers expected (p. 181).
This pattern continues today. Many students use technology in ways their schools never
intended, such as using artificial intelligence to generate ideas for assignments. Others learn
corporate language and legal terminology to protect themselves from unfair treatment in
workplaces or legal systems. Brandt emphasizes that sponsors can attempt to control literacy,
but individuals will always find ways to use literacy for their own benefit.
Brandt’s Idea of Stratified Literacy
Brandt (p. 178) argues that literacy is "stratified," meaning that access to literacy is organized
into different levels, with some people gaining more opportunities than others. She states that
literacy sponsors "help to organize and administer stratified systems of opportunity and access,"
which means that literacy is not equally distributed. The stakes of literacy are high because
those with access to strong literacy sponsorship are able to secure high paying jobs and
positions of influence, while those with limited access are left in lower income, manual labor, or
service based jobs.
Expanding Brandt’s Research
If I were to extend Brandt’s research, I would look at how digital literacy sponsorship affects
economic ability. Who gets access to advanced technology? Who understands how algorithms
impact information? Brandt (p. 172) already demonstrates that literacy sponsorship is influenced
by race, class, and gender, but now digital literacy is becoming another factor in literacy
inequality.
Conclusion
The reading makes things clear that literacy is not just about education, it is about power. Those
who have access to literacy sponsorship are able to secure economic and social advantages,
while those without sponsorship are often left behind. Literacy sponsorship determines who
gains access to knowledge, who enters certain career fields, and who holds positions of
influence. In every era, literacy has been a tool that can either maintain social hierarchies or be
used as a way to challenge them. Understanding literacy sponsorship is key to understanding
how power operates in society.
In this assignment, I analyzed the genre of military communication within the Reddit community r/Military. This genre blends formal military jargon with casual internet communication, revealing a rich example of multiliteracy. I explored how service members and civilians use memes, abbreviations, acronyms, and cultural references to share stories, humor, and advice.
The assignment taught me how digital platforms reshape genre through multimodal expression, text, images, and tags, all contribute to meaning-making. I also reflected on how blending technical language with humor creates a unique voice that supports the community’s goals. This directly meets the learning outcome by showing how genre analysis helps recognize and work with the multiple literacies and modes of expression that real-world writing communities rely on.
Genre Identification and Analysis
Genres are the different categories, topics or common defined elements. When many people
hear the word, it is attributed to music however, genre can relate to just about any topic or field.
Literature genres allows us to understand how communities find meaning and share
information. I have selected military terms and how they are communicated as my genre of
focus for this reading response. I will be using the discourse community of r/military from reddit.
What is the purpose of this genre? Why do writers and readers use this genre? What do
they hope to accomplish?
The purpose of military terms is to provide effective and coded communication to convey an
idea, order, or situations. communicators in the military community use this genre to enhance
effiecy and secrecy within their discourse communicty. On reddit forum r/Military, members
communicate to share knowledge and camaraderie. This usually translates into military jargon
for both insiders and outsiders. Here is an example, the term ‘snafu’ (situation normal, all fouled
up) originated in the military and is used in discussions to explain crazy or problematic
situations. The genres purpose on r/military also bridges the gap between the military and
civilians world that are curious about military life.
What is the subject of the genre? List the issues, ideas, questions, or topics the genre
addresses.
r/military addresses addresses many different key topics:
- Technical military jargon, acronyms.
- Descriptions of military operations and routines.
- The cultural nuances and humor that the military life is full of.
- Explanations of military concepts for non military audiences.
Who is the audience for this genre? How can you tell?
The main audience members for this genre include active service members, veterans, and
people interested in military culture. evidence of this is found in the discussions and tones used
on r/military, which are military technical based with camaraderie and humor. A secondary
audience, like civilians or researchers often engage with this content to learn more about
military life and terminology.
Identify & Describe Patterns or recurrent features in the genre:
Military communication has several lots of recurrent features that reveal its genre:
1. Content for example, posts often include:
o types of military slang or acronyms (e.g fubar or awol)
o Personal stories from service members.
o Explanations of moments and events using military terminology.
2. Structure and format - on r/military, content is formatted for readability and community
engagement and posts are often
o Brief and organized, with bullet points or acronyms for clarity.
o Most posts include an images, memes or videos (e.g photographs of military
equipment or pepe).
o tagged with labels, such as humor, history, or advice.
3. language use like military jargon and abbreviations dominate these posts, often requiring
explanation for most newcomers. For example, a term like “pog” (person other than
grunt) used to describe solders or civilians who are NOT on the battlefront.
4. there is limited evidence of translingualism, english dominates this genre. However,
meshing occurs pretty often, much like blending technical jargon with everyday speech
or including humor and slang.
5. Diction and tone. The diction is a mixture of formal technical terms and humorous
language. Phrases like “embrace the suck” display the blend of cynicism and humor that
is rife in military culture. The tone ranges from serious and instructional to lighthearted,
depending on the post's aim or purpose.
6. Sentences are often concise and active, reflecting the efficiency valued in military
communication. Structure is reflected in posts that might include commands, brief
explanations or witty one liners.
Is this genre something you would be interested in studying or learning more about?
This genre intrigues me because I am ex military and reddits like r/Military provide more insight
into the aspects that I’ve missed about the military. I could imagine studying how humor is used
in first responder communities to cope with stressful situations that could cause trauma. These
genres also are patterned on communication tailored to specific audiences, making them good
for analysis in terms of the framework of genre theory. Referring back to the reading, genres like
these embody the principles of recurrent rhetorical situations described in Writing about Writing
(pages 34-40). This demonstrates how genres help streamline communication while it aligns
with audience expectations.