The Refined Reader (9) Illiteracy

The Refined Reader aims to take a look at the journey to where we are as readers today.  It's part history, part commentary - providing a brief, conversational summary of various aspects of our bookish past and comparing it to how it has affected us in modern times.  I love history, but I am no historian, and while I plan to do my research, if there are any errors, please let me know!  This is as much a learning venture for me as I hope it is for my blog visitors!

Source

Just think that there was a time when regular people were not allowed to read.  Reading is a way for me to connect to the world, to understand myself and life in general.  It's essential and I think quite interesting to think about how it became so.

Forms of a written language is thought to have emerged around 8000 b.c. in Mesopotamia.  It was simple of course and ideographic but it helped people maintain their systems of trade and agriculture.  As civilization developed, the importance of being able to understand a written system of communication was widely recognized and before the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 A.D.) it was pretty common for the average person to know some form of reading and writing.  But.  After the fall, the ability to read and write was a kind of power that the higher classes wielded over the lower.  At the time less importance was placed on education, and books and reading material were hard to find or very expensive.  A lack of literacy and education meant that social classes were preserved and it was easier to take advantage of the lower classes.

With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century and the decision to translate the Bible into vernacular, literacy became a part of the daily lives of the average person.  However there are still many less developed countries in the world where literacy is not the norm.  Economic status plays a part as does political beliefs but it is proven that a higher literacy rate improves individual lives as well as the economy of a country.  For individuals it boosts self-esteem and self-empowerment while on an economic and political level it promotes awareness of issues, participation in politics and productivity in the workforce.

No question this time, just take a moment to appreciate what being able to read has meant to you!

Sources:
Wikipedia
Unesco
The Impact of Literacy