Did you know that 800 million people in the world are illiterate? Not being able to read or write is a disturbing reality which society either is unaware or tries to avoid. This alarming problem is enhancing future societies of people who are not able to learn or even understand basic facts and information. Now days, illiteracy is a worrying paradox which is a source of poverty, mortality, and isolation.
Poverty is call to be the first major price to pay for illiteracy. The limited ability to obtain and understand essential information can cause diverse problems that lead to poverty. Moreover, an individual lacking of such skills, as writing and reading, would always have unequal opportunities to grow in society, and acquire a high income life style that could be transferred to future generations of his/her family. For example, an entry level trainee, who answer calls and greets people, would never be promoted to a higher position without the ability to read or write. It is a fact that individuals with low or inexistent literate abilities are the ones who are the most unemployed, or work in hard and demanding physical activity jobs. Furthermore, literacy is a tool for political liberation, people with this disadvantage are not mentally armed to confront or select a political side. People become unable to reason by themselves when they have no ability to obtain and process information, so the incapability caused by ignorance keep them trapped in a political environment that neither benefit them, nor give them freedom. As an example we can cite Africa where 38% of people are illiterate, and the government is stealing the wealth of the soil, and using the population without giving any gratification.
Mortality is call to be the...
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...ip could become a nightmare for someone who can’t read; likewise, the idea of getting lost because not being able to interpret maps, can make a person think twice before enjoying in a trip or a tour.
In conclusion the cost of individuals who cannot read and write is very high. Not only it evolves the working environment, but also carries problems in the individual’s behavior in society and health related problems. An uneasy and sad reality is the day-a-day life for those who are illiterate, and society is not even paying attention to what is happening. Imagine if the person tacking care of your child during your working hours would be illiterate; it could be very dangerous if that person can’t read the emergency numbers during a crisis. Illiteracy is a problem which involves the cooperation of all of us, and it depends on society that this issue gets solved.
Finding a definition of literacy is not as easy as it sounds. The Webster definition says that to be literate is to be” able to read and write.” But to some researchers, this definition is too simplistic, leading to multiple models of literacy. Most Americans adhere to the autonomous model, which falls closest to the standard, dictionary definition. Believers in this form say that literacy is a cognitive activity that students learn like any other basic skill. It has a set of proficiencies that one must master in order to be capable of decoding and encoding text (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). A competing theory is the ideological model, which claims literacy is intrinsically linked to culture, and therefore what constitutes a “literate” individual is ever-changing. Society is the largest influence on literacy, according to this thought, and it is affected by politics, religion, philosophy and more (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). These two are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, some studies recognize “literacy as competence,” which is a “measure of competence to do a given task or work in a given field,” (SIL International, 1999) such as being computer literate. Although more researchers are recognizing and exploring multiple literacies, the one that most influences American schools is the autonomous, cognitive model – the ability to read and write. For many, it seems a simple task, but millions of adolescents are struggling or reluctant readers, and there are many reasons why young readers have difficulty with reading. XXXXXX------NEED HELP WITH THESIS STATEMENT HERE PLEASE—(This paper will focus on the effects of low reading skills, some of the possible causes of reluctant and struggling readership...
In the Essay “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Johnathan Kozol. Mr. Kozol uses quotes, key points, experiences and his knowledge companied by effective forms of rhetoric throughout the essay to speak to highly educated and intelligent individuals who have to power to make a difference. He explains in detail how an illiterate society is affecting not only the illiterate’s life, but also the country’s democracy, and endangering the lives around them as well. He interviews individuals who share their experiences of fear, hopelessness, confusion and frustration when dealing with everyday life situations that most people could figure out on their own.
Literacy gives courage and provides a positive influence in times of crisis.
Throughout the writing The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society by Jonathan Kozol, Illiterate America, published in New York City 1985, a question is brought to understanding that many American citizens haven’t worried or been concerned about asking themselves. What is it like to be illiterate? When we think of Illiterate-America, we often think of the votes that aren’t cast and of the un-informed decisions regarding who those said, are voting for. Jonathan Kozol brought to light some of the many problems that loom overhead one without a written language.
In “In Defense of Literacy,” Wendell Berry explains literacy is a requirement, not an embellishment. Literacy is more than the ability to just read and write; it's also the ability to understand what a person is reading and make sense in what a person is writing. While some people may think that achieving literacy requires hard work and gets little outcome, I think that literacy makes people more ambitious, confident, more attentive, and more prosperous in life than those who are not literate. Joining in on conversations and voicing ones philosophies is easier if people are literate and educated, and people feel worthy of themselves when they have the ability to do so. People are more determined in life, whether it is with their professions
As the world advances through the modern age of information and connectivity, having a literate society is crucial to being able to work effectively with the outside world. Jonathan Kozol’s book, The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society, portrays the life of illiterates in the modern world and argues that society has an ethical obligation to fix the problem of illiteracy. Kozol believes that illiteracy has the greatest effect on the education of current and future generations, the way food is consumed and wasted, and various economic costs to both illiterates and those around them. Kozol’s main point throughout his book is that society as a whole needs to face the problem of illiteracy, as not one single group or person can do it on their own.
“Literacy—the ability to access, evaluate, and integrate information from a wide range of textual sources—is a prerequisite not only for individual educational success but for upward mobility both socially and economically,” states Sean Reardon (18). Literacy plays a significant role in civilized society. As Reardon mentioned, literacy is an important part of social and economic progression; therefore, it is unsurprising that thousands of dollars are poured into the education system each year to ensure that students can be considered literate. Reardon continues on to claim, “by third grade virtually all students can “read” in the procedural sense—they can sound out words and recognize simple words in context” (20). However,
Literacy, or the capability to comprehend, translate, utilize, make, process, assess, and speak information connected with fluctuating settings and displayed in differing organizations, assumes an essential part in molding a young's persons trajectory in life. The ability to read speaks to a key factor of scholarly, social, and financial success (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). These abilities likewise speak to a fundamental segment to having a satisfying life and turning into an effective worker and overall person (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1999). Interestingly, recent studies have demonstrated that low reading skills lead to critical hindrances in monetary and social achievement. As stated by the National Center for Education Statistics, adults with lower levels of reading skills and literacy have a lower average salary. Another study evaluated that 17 to 18 percent of adults with "below average" literacy aptitudes earned less than $300 a week, though just 3 to 6 percent of adults with "proficient" reading abilities earned less than $300 a week (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).
The ability to read and write is a basic condition for social and personal growth. In my
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man,
In his essay “The Human fee of an Illiterate Society,” Jonathan Kozol addresses the challenges that people who 're functionally illiterate face on an everyday basis, and posits the argument that society at significant suffers from this concern as good. For illustration, Kozol mentions the fact that many of these people vote blindly or do not vote at all in elections, concluding that their uninformed votes could have influenced the elected officials who took place of business. He offers sobering facts, corresponding to the truth that 60 million men and women that were functionally illiterate in 1980, and provides first-hand quotes from a few of those affected. His article
In today’s society, a vast number of people are well educated. They have the equal opportunity to choose their own path in life by getting an education. A primary educational aspect of every human being is to learn to read. Being able to read is a primary goal of people in human society, as well as important in itself to society; it takes people far beyond their wildest dreams. A person who is literate has few limitations on what they can do; the world is an open playing field, because a person that is literate has the ability to become very successful in life.
“In Defense of Literacy,” written by Wendell Berry was the topic of this discussion in his own essay of whether or not people are really and truly educated or literate. He acknowledges this in his essay by first acknowledging that while many people do go to school and continue their education in this country, people who are supposed to be well-educated have writing skills which are really not that good.
“While it is true that more books are sold today than ever, recent statistics show that only about 15% of books bought today are read. Evidently, they are of more use as furniture—coffee-table books—than as a source of information or aesthetic buzz. The statistics continue; of those that are read, less than 20% are read all the way through. The unfinished book symbolizes the state of attention spans today”. Eric McLuhan opens up his 2010 argument against technology with this quote. He seems to believe that literacy is only fully achieved through limited technology and hard copies of books. He fails to realize there is more to literacy that picking up a book defined as a ‘classic’ and reading it cover to cover. Literacy covers all spans of artistic
I chose this topic because education is all around me. I am literally surrounded by illiteracy. From the moment I leave my door, to the moment I return, I am able to witness illiteracy in my society. Therefore, I could connect well to this particular topic in detail. So many children younger than me, of my age and also people elder to me do not have access to education. Even though 86.1% of the world is illiterate (CIA World Factbook), the other 14.9% have absolutely no access to education!