Literacy by Design not by default: social capital's role in literacy learning

This paper argues the significance of social capital in the literacy learning process and discusses the roles and effects of various elements of social capital, such as networks and trust. An illustrative case study shows how the knowledge and identity resources drawn on during learning interactions rely as much for their success on identity-shifting as they do on skills and knowledge. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for learning and education, especially literacy education. United Kingdom Reading Association 2001.