Researching Everyday Literacies
Examining unexpected literacies in Harris Teeter
In this assignment, I looked at multimodal literacies in a local Harris Teeter supermarket. My focus was on how signs, labels, and digital tools help shoppers navigate the space and make decisions.
Feedback
"Your data and analysis get eclipsed by your incorporation of quotations... For example, on p. 3, you reference Baron’s argument about the ways that reading print is more beneficial for learning than reading a digital text... It doesn’t advance YOUR argument. Prompt us to see something new. Surprise us. You might note, for example, particular gender roles, networks of support, power relations, forms of control, how texts circulate and who has access to them"- Dr. Hall
Key Revisions
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Removed irrelevant quotes from Baron and Rumsey
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Added relevant quotes from Hamilton (2000) to strengthen theoretical grounding
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Added a section about power and access, focusing on who understands pricing codes, loyalty programs, and digital tools
Revised Excerpt
"This brings up an important point about patterns of power and access. Some texts, like digital coupons or loyalty program QR codes, assume a level of technological fluency that not all shoppers have (especially older shoppers and foreign language speakers). Other things, like standardized nutrition labels or sanitation scores, are dominant literacies that shape the consumer experience whether shoppers engage with them or not. These layers of legibility and authority show that supermarket literacy isn’t neutral. It privileges certain forms of knowledge and certain shoppers over others."
Reflection
This assignment helped me to realize that I had gotten caught up in "doing school," but not actually making the right connections. In many essays I would insert quotations to satisfy the rubric and show I had done the reading, but I wasn't actually reflecting learning and understanding. This course helped me to use quotes to supplement my ideas, not stand in for them.