Texts, Identities, and Ethics: Critical Literacy in a Post-Truth World (original) (raw)

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy

e hope that you will enjoy our new department, Critical Perspectives on Literacy Policy and Practice, which is jointly edited by Barbara Comber and me, alternating with George G. Hruby. The columns in this department will be circulated among us but will be published in the name of the person or people who wrote the article. At times, we will write alone, with other people, or with one another. It is our intention to engage with policy and practice from a critical perspective to understand the interests that are being served and the effects that this has on social inclusion and exclusion. I begin the series by exploring the context in which we see ourselves working and its relation to texts, identities, and social justice. Context 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less.' 'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.' 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-that's all.' (Carroll, 1872, p. 69