The History of Illiteracy in the Modern World Since 1750

Download or read book The History of Illiteracy in the Modern World Since 1750 written by Martyn Lyons and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-11-28 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Palgrave Pivot examines the history of literacy with illiterate and semi-literate people in mind, and questions the clear division between literacy and illiteracy which has often been assumed by social and economic historians. Instead, it turns the spotlight on all those in-between, the millions who had some literacy skills, but for whom reading and writing posed difficulties. Its main focus is on those we have often labelled ‘illiterates’, rather than those who enjoyed full competence in reading and writing in modern society. In offering a historical perspective on the ‘problem’ of illiteracy in the modern world, it also questions some enduring myths surrounding the phenomenon. This book therefore has a revisionist objective: it intends to challenge conventional wisdom about illiteracy.