TY - JOUR

T1 - I am a peacemaker

T2 - writing as a space for recontextualising children's identity in a Catholic First Communion preparation course

AU - Tusting, Karin

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Written Communication, 32 (3), 2015, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Written Communication page: http://wcx.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/

PY - 2015/7

Y1 - 2015/7

N2 - This article reports on research addressing the role of writing as a space for producing representations of children’s identity as Catholics in a First Communion preparation course. It draws on data from ethnographic participant-observation over one year in a Catholic parish in England, focusing on writing in the preparation sessions, taking a social practice approach to identity and literacy. The article argues that in this course, written texts are drawn on to provide spaces within which children produce written representations of aspects of their lives which reify their identities as Catholics. Analysis of the dataset demonstrates four ways in which particular kinds of identities were constructed through writing processes. Writing provided space for reframing aspects of children’s unique histories and identities within a faith-based perspective; representing children as active agents in the world; producing reifications of internal emotional states in linguistic form; and making relational connections between the children and their church, home and friendship communities. The article argues that the production of these reframings of children's identities requires multiple kinds of recontextualisations, and that writing provides a key means by which these are brought together.

AB - This article reports on research addressing the role of writing as a space for producing representations of children’s identity as Catholics in a First Communion preparation course. It draws on data from ethnographic participant-observation over one year in a Catholic parish in England, focusing on writing in the preparation sessions, taking a social practice approach to identity and literacy. The article argues that in this course, written texts are drawn on to provide spaces within which children produce written representations of aspects of their lives which reify their identities as Catholics. Analysis of the dataset demonstrates four ways in which particular kinds of identities were constructed through writing processes. Writing provided space for reframing aspects of children’s unique histories and identities within a faith-based perspective; representing children as active agents in the world; producing reifications of internal emotional states in linguistic form; and making relational connections between the children and their church, home and friendship communities. The article argues that the production of these reframings of children's identities requires multiple kinds of recontextualisations, and that writing provides a key means by which these are brought together.

KW - Religious literacy

KW - Literacy studies

KW - Catechesis

KW - Religious identity

KW - Catholic identity

KW - Recontextualisation

KW - First Communion

KW - Sacramental preparation

U2 - 10.1177/0741088315586379

DO - 10.1177/0741088315586379

M3 - Journal article

VL - 32

SP - 227

EP - 253

JO - Written Communication

JF - Written Communication

SN - 0741-0883

IS - 3

ER -