Globalization, utilitarianism, and implications for the study of literature : a critical analysis of the eclectic nature of the senior high English language arts curriculum of the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation

• Main Author: Hoddinott, Merrill R.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1999
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/940/; https://research.library.mun.ca/940/1/Hoddinott_MerrillR.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/940/3/Hoddinott_MerrillR.pdf

The decade of the nineties has been one of change in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, a change which has permeated the entire socio-economic fabric. Within this context the educational system has attempted to adjust accordingly to provide programs which would enable graduates of provincial schools to be competent and competitive in the global realities of our province. -- One of the more notable changes has been the move to provide courses of study which are global in nature, either by offering global studies, inserting units with a global focus, or infusing existing curricula with global elements. This change serves to enhance the literature component of the English language arts curriculum as literature is especially well suited to the infusing of a global perspective. The global orientation of the Atlantic provinces' senior high English language arts curriculum is notable in terms of its philosophy, stated curriculum outcomes, and program design. -- Yet, simultaneously, the English language arts curriculum has a utilitarian focus in which emphasis is placed upon promoting information technology in response to the perceived importance of technology in the society of the twenty-first century. The end result is a potential threat to the study of literature as the technologies may be given greater emphasis while literature is used only for its utilitarian worth of promoting literacy among students. This, too, is evident in the philosophy, curriculum outcomes, and program design. -- The eclectic nature of the English language arts curriculum provides an interesting study of how differing perspectives help determine the emphasis of the curriculum. However the senior high English language arts program is interpreted, the current design of the curriculum is a marked shift in focus from traditional perspectives of literature study, a factor which will impact dramatically upon how students in the secondary schools of Newfoundland and Labrador experience literature.