Signifying As a Scaffold for Literary Interpretation: The Pedagogical Implications of an African American Discourse Genre

by Carol D. Lee

Genres: Theory

200 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

Reviews

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a monograph, Lee’s Signifying as a Scaffold will likely interest teachers of writing and literature, but I’m not positive the text is “readable” enough to reach a wider audience. (That is, the prose is pretty standard empirical academic fair and the ideas here are not necessarily as world-changing for anyone already engaged in critical race theory.) Though this study focuses primarily on secondary literature classes, Lee’s approach to Signifying has a potential to help teachers create other kinds of classroom environments that are more inclusive of AAE languaging and literacy. Given the study’s age, I do wonder if there are other studies similar to this that better reflect changes in American culture and technology.