Trends in crude literacy

By January 25, 2016 In-Class-Work No Comments

Joanie Hogan, Dustin Mays, Christian Alferez, & Kyla Patterson
Trends in crude literacy:
Europe:
– the influence of religion on being able to read
– there was a disconnect between the north (greater literacy rates) and south
– majority of literate people were upper class males in urban areas
– 19th century- push for universal reading ability by governing class

America:
– increase in literacy with introduction of schooling
– counted ability to sign as grounds for being literate
– U.S. 1840 census- they would ask people if they were literate (did not have a test for it)- often lied due to the tie between literacy and a high place in society
– Puritans placed high importance on schooling
– after 1780 there was an increase in female literacy because there was an emphasis on them educating children
Difference between literacy rates in Catholicism and Protestantism- Catholicism involved more listening to authority figures in the church and depended less on reading to form a relationship with God

How is literacy defined/measured?
– signing ability was correlated to a full reading ability

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