I see Steven's use of machismo to engage with the zippers as an attempt to read the sculpture materials in a way that is familiar and known to him. During that same group talk, two other students used the sculptural materials to depict their relationship dynamics at the Centre. Del chose to play around with the zippers, setting three zippers into a base, explaining that two of them are "yakking together" and the third one is backing away. Richard immediately responded that he liked that sculpture and he personally related to the third zipper character that was backing away because he feels a bit like an outsider at the Centre. We discussed those feelings, then he and Del changed and manipulated the sculpture to show how Richard would like to see himself at the Centre - facing inwards towards and closer to the two talking together.

Several sculptures were on hand at the Centre and used as a reference or an illustration during my conversations with students and visitors. People seldom asked about them or initiated conversation. When I questioned students generally about the use of the artifacts, they commented that it "just gives a different look, it just shows what you're talking about" (LaI 06/19/01), and mentioned specific sculptures that they liked, particularly the Reader & Writer. This sculpture depicts a zipper person reading a miniature version of the published book by Carla Frenchy, a student at the Centre, while the writer has a pencil stub in hand. Generally the sculptures worked well to open up conversation and explore issues with students. They are an open-ended tool and capable of triggering new ways to look at and think about things. Much of our conversation about pushing and teacher behaviour revolved around the Hovering sculpture, which students played with and manipulated into different postures. This sculpture helped to create interactions and served as a concrete springboard that we could keep returning to. Perhaps the sculptures also served as a as a physical reminder of our conversations and a reflective tool for students.

Data Analysis

The process of analysis for this study was and is ongoing, beginning from the moment I first heard of the Reading and Writing Centre, up to the present moment. I was in a constant process of integration and analysis of knowledge I was gleaning from various sources. This included my fieldwork at the Centre, work with literacy practitioners doing research, participation in adult literacy online discussions, reading literature about literacy, education, power and the research process, and my own experiences and relationships as a graduate student in university.