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University of New Mexico

Socializing English-Speaking Navajo Children

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Understanding how young children are socialized to the process and products of storytelling as part of everyday family life is important for language and literacy instruction. A language socialization framework was used to understand storytelling practices on the Navajo Nation. This study examined how three young English-speaking Navajo children, ages 3, 4 and 6, were socialized to tell stories. The broad research question that guided this work was, 'How are young English-speaking Navajo children socialized to tell stories?' The following methods were used: (a) observations of primary child participants, (b) interviews with adult family members of primary child participants, and (c) document review. Several major themes emerged including: Societal Changes, Why We Tell Stories, and Aspects of Good Stories. Analysis also revealed associated subthemes. Results of the study addressed routines, contexts, and interactions that support storytelling. As language shifts from Navajo to English, aspects of Navajo culture and culturally influenced discourse patterns remain in primarily English-speaking homes. The implication of this study is that as cultural and linguistic practices change on the Navajo Nation, so do the socialization processes and products of storytelling."

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Special Education
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Special Education
Year
2016

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Vining, Christine B.
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Scherba de Valenzuela, Julia
  • Copeland, Susan
  • Qi, Cathy
  • Lee, Tiffany

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Rights

Language dc:language
English

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:educ_spcd_etds-1014

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of New Mexico
Base URL
digitalrepository.unm.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Vining, Christine B.. Socializing English-Speaking Navajo Children. Dissertation thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1928/31749