The Power of Self-Agency

The book I am reading is called Words at Work and Play. I really like the details of this book allowing me to visually see what I am reading and not only that, but I am so surprised that I see myself/ my upbringing similar to the Roadville families. This detailed account of family literacy progression is awesome. I feel that the shift in time caused the family shift in language as well and the shift of family reliance upon the elders (factory workers) to the youngins (technology workers). For me, this book allows me to see the family values which in line prepared children for certain types of language and work- as in the case of Martin doing house and yard work learning tool names and etc as a child, but as he grew older his children did the same line of work but in a different context along with a host of other activities within the community.

One story I really enjoyed reading was about a young boy named Jerome who didn’t really have a family but found people around him to become his family after is aunt died. I feel that Jerome did a lot of self-agency (so redundant-Oh well!). Considering the lost of his family the reconnection with his birth mother and the attachment to his self appointed foster mother (not legally documented) he defeated the odds that counted against him. I question first why did he choose to continuously  find a stable family unit, considering all of the family units he did have fell apart. Secondly what was his mind set growing up virtually home and family-less? Jerome’s story  was very remarkable to see a young person act as their own agent is so many areas of his life from the people he hung out with to his community involvement.