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Academic Article Questions

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The literacy thesis is a series of publication from authors such as Eric Havelock that states that

literacy is important for intellectual development and can be treated as an independent item

moreover it does not require to be complimented.

The literacy thesis is important as it leads to a transformation in cognition in ways such as

differentiating some opinions from truths. It has also contributed towards giving a clear

description of cultures and the scope of knowledge and how they affect human interactions.

The things that don’t function in the literacy thesis is the claim that it is autonomous and that it

does not depend on other forms of publication which has come to be dropped as its previous

claim of superiority has been foregone. Another fault is the association of literacy and history

whose contrast has been associated with a misreading in the Greek culture.

The idea of literacy is important among the people of Europe because of its association with

education, institutions of power. Literacy led to a state of transformation while illiteracy was

viewed as a disease, this points to the importance of literacy in Europe. Literacy in a way can be

attributed to power and governance as control over it means control over people which led to

state formation. Literacy which gave way to schooled literacy, that became an important basic

skill.

Literacy’s view on class, gender and ethnicity is that it brings together some social relations such

as cooperation and conflict between people. Literacy creates a sort of stratification especially

with the rise of schooled literacy which led to the rich having an advantage over the poor as they

could access it. Literacy has also expanded the gender gap with many men accessing education

over women. Literacy has also shaped ethnic divides such as the Jewish identity linked to the

Torah.
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The article is a persuasive article, this is because it clearly expounds on Literacy and shapes the

arguments basing its facts on history and other publications with an aim to inform us on the

importance, contribution and consequences of literacy.