Illiteracy, by definition, is the quality or state of being illiterate; especially the inability to read or write (Merriam-Webster Inc., n.d.). It refers to “the actual or perceived state of being uneducated or insufficiently educated” (Mc Arthur, 1998). Scholars use different terms to refer to people who are illiterate. They use more neutral terms such as non-literate for societies and individuals for whom literacy isn’t a relevant issue and pre-literate for conditions before literacy was adopted (Mc Arthur, 1998). Formerly, the term illiterate was used to describe someone who do not have book learning even though he can read in a vernacular language (Mc Arthur, 1998). As education moved away from the classical languages, illiterate came to mean the inability to sign one’s name in an important papers, marriage documents for instance, or to read simple passages (Mc Arthur, 1998). In recent years, the term has been used to describe the condition of people to cope with printed materials relevant to their needs. This condition refers to functional illiteracy (Mc Arthur, 1998). Another type of illiteracy is the cultural illiteracy wherein people are unacquainted with the conventions of an educated population (Mc Arthur, 1998). This inability to read or write not only prevents people from functioning fully in the society, but also becomes part of the national priority and use of human resources (Mc Arthur, 1998).
Sources:
Illiteracy. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illitercy
Mc Arthur, T. (1998). Illiteracy. Retrieved July 18, 2011 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/illiteracy.aspx
