The concept of literacy being sponsored makes it sound very capitalist. Like a sports game being sponsored by Gatorade or a TV show being sponsored by Macy’s. It’s the funding for production, the backbone of how things begin. Another form of propaganda that has settled naturally into our society.
So, in considering who has sponsored my own literacy, I tried to consider what motivated them, and respectively divided them into two groups: altruistic and capitalist. But, there was some overlap, which I wanted to consider.
For example, my parent’s sponsorship is pretty blanket altruistic seeing as I’m their kid and they chose to raise their children to be well read. However, while I originally considered the first teacher that encouraged my writing to be altruistic, I also could consider him capitalist as my parent’s taxes paid his salary. But I ultimately deemed this teacher, Mr. Merrik, altruistic because he would pull me from my kindergarten class into his first grade class for writing lessons, something he did not have to do but did anyway.
Then, in considering organizations that sponsored my literacy, most were capitalist because somehow or another, they got money from me. The Denver Post received a subscription fee, as did Baby Bug and Cricket magazines. PBS Kids was part of the larger PBS organization that relied on donations to run their TV programs. the UCWbL uses my literacy skills as a way to profit, even if it’s not in a monetary manner.
It’s just an interest thought to consider, that even sponsors who may seem they are helping you out of the kindness of their heart may be profiting in some way or another.
