Literacy and pedagogy in flux: Constructing the object of study from a Bernsteinian perspective

This paper considers the principles of description that underpin Bernstein's theoretical language, and how these can be applied to empirical data. The particular case explored here is the relevance of the distinctions Bernstein draws between (i) invisible and visible pedagogies, and (ii) competence and performance pedagogies, for thinking about the literacy curriculum from a social practice perspective. The paper argues that it is the generative potential of Bernstein's theoretical language, and the supple and flexible ways in which the dichotomies he delineates can be used to map out changing boundary relations in a given field, which make his work so powerful.