| This qualitative study sought to describe the meaning of family literacy programs for the women who participate in them. It had three broad purposes: (a) to contribute to a broader understanding of why women participate in family literacy programs and how these programs impact their lives; (b) to provide some useful recommendations for research and practice in family literacy; (c) to contribute to the empowerment of the participants by listening to and valuing their stories as significant sources of knowledge.;The women's stories depicted their participation in the context of the Neighbourhood Family Centre as a whole, rather than in individual family literacy programs. The meanings they ascribed to their participation were unique, yet commonalities were evident. These commonalities were described under two broad themes: experiences and impacts. The theme of experiences described what it was like for the women to participate in programs at the Neighbourhood Family Centre on a daily basis. This theme was further described (textured) by four sub-themes: feeling comfortable, feeling connected, feeling supported and feeling valued. The theme of impacts described what the outcomes of participation in programs at the Neighbourhood Family Centre mean to the women in their lives outside the Centre. This theme was further described (textured) by three sub-themes: social networks and community participation, relationships with children and sense of self.;The findings of the study concluded that first, the meaning of family literacy programs was, for the women in this study, influenced by their identities as mothers and caregivers of young children. Second, as important as their identity as mothers and caregivers was to the women in the study, the meaning of participating in a family literacy program was also shaped by the mothers' experiences as women in other roles in their lives. In conclusion, the study offers some recommendations for family literacy practice and research, and suggests that feminist theory may offer important insights for the field of family literacy.;A feminist and phenomenological methodology was used in this study to explore the meaning of family literacy programs in the context of the participants' lived experiences. Data were collected through two sets of face-to-face interviews with three women who had been participating in family literacy programs at the Neighbourhood Family Centre for more than two years. Data analysis was a creative and aesthetic process drawing on phenomenological approaches particularly meaning categorization. A theoretical framework, based in the literature from the fields of family literacy and feminist pedagogy, shaped the interpretation of the data. |
