Literacy and Poverty

Photo Credit: https://tridentlit.org/adult-literacy-matters/literacy-levels/

For most people, the meaning of literacy may be simply defined as the ability of an individual to read and write. However, literacy goes far beyond the ability to read and write. It also involves having the ability to comprehend and apply acquired knowledge. Additionally, Corley suggests that literacy is also a social practice or social currency, and as such, a key to social mobility (Gee 1991).  So what is the correlation between literacy and poverty? According to research, “literacy is regarded as central to helping people obtain and retain employment, which is the key to moving them dependency toward greater self-sufficiency (2003). Adults that are unable to read and write often find themselves in low paying jobs that usually do not require mastery in a particular field or subject area. Consequently, these adults not only become prone to vicious cycles of poverty but also tend to experience repetitive barriers to social mobility. 
~Sheila~

Literacy and its effects on the Economy

Source: https://www.news-herald.com/news/ohio/illiteracy-often-unseen-very-real-problem-greater-cleveland-groups-say/article_759f3f9e-7109-55b0-a96e-e4f4d772e32d.html

While there are negative implications at the individual level, the inability to read and write among the adult population also has implications at a national level according to research from the National Bureau of Economic Research, National Center for Education Statistics, National Council for Adult Learning and the American Journal of Public Health. Adults that are sometimes unable to engage in gainful employment due to literacy barriers are prone to depend on welfare and sometimes engage in crime in order to support themselves. As a result, it costs the government $225 million each year due in non-productivity in the workforce, crime and loss of tax revenue.

~Sheila~
Works referenced: Corley, Mary Ann. “Poverty, Racism and Literacy” ERIC Digest (2003) Web. 3 March 2019. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED475392

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Literacy and Financial Stability
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“Just as it was not possible to live in an industrialized society without print literacy—the ability to read and write, so it is not possible to live in today’s world without being financially literate… Financial literacy is an essential tool for anyone who wants to be able to succeed in today’s society, make sound financial decisions, and—ultimately—be a good citizen.” --Annamaria Lusardi (2011)

Source: http://www.financialresiliency.org/

This quote from Annamaria Lusardi speaks volumes. While it may seem as though there is no direct correlation between the ability to read and write with finances, the reverse is actually true. Literacy is not limited to the ability to read and write alone but also the ability to comprehend and make logical applications based on acquired information. When it comes to matters of financial literacy, it can be challenging for individuals to make sound financial decisions if they are unable to read and write. Individuals may find it difficult to do basic things like open up a back account or read a bank statement. When I volunteered at a local nonprofit organization that helps low income families with free income tax preparation services, it was then that I realized that these were the realities that some individuals face. There were individuals that would show up for a tax preparation appointment with unopened W-2 statements and I wondered why. Upon further inquiry, I was informed by the supervisor that some individuals didn’t know how to read W-2 statements and would therefore never bother to open them. 

~Sheila~

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              Literacy and generational poverty

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It is believed that children who are raised in poverty often find it difficult to end the generational cycle and are highly likely to wind up becoming poor adults themselves. Family outcomes and self-sufficiency are greatest when the educational attainment of parents in the home particularly of the mother is high. Eric Jensen in his book, Teaching with Poverty in Mind, states that children who grow up in poverty face risk factors that impact reading and overall academic achievement and these include;

•       Social and emotional issues
•       Chronic and acute stressors
•       Cognitive delays
•   Safety and health concerns

As a result, children faced with these risk factors are not only grossly delayed in their ability to read and write but also in the overall process of learning. Consequently, children who experience social and emotional issues tend to become adults that experience the same and in some cases face barriers to acquiring and maintaining employment. In a notable number of cases, the inability to get or keep a job has resulted in a chronic cycles of encounters with the criminal justice system and chronic poverty. However, we a society can rally together to end the cycle of generational poverty. Here is how;

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ksxPeg3jV0

 

~Sheila~

Literacy and Health Outcomes

Photo Credit: https://www.intellus.org/Member-Resources/Health-Literacy-Initiative 

Studies have been conducted over a period of time that suggest that there is a correlation between literacy levels and health outcomes of individuals. In a systematic review of literature published by National Center for Biotechnology Information between 1980 to 2003 by Darren A. DeWatt et al entitled Literacy and Health Outcomes; A Systematic Review of Literature, researchers concluded that low literacy was associated with several adverse health outcomes. Additionally, the researchers found that individuals with low literacy had lower health knowledge, higher measures of morbidity, poorer health status and overall use of health resources.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1492599/pdf/jgi_40153.pdf

~Sheila~

Literacy and Access

“In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the State has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.” – Brown v. Board of Education

Photo Credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/d9gTfDjnkB1VTAwLA 

Is access to Literacy a right or is it a privilege? Should this even be an issue worth debating? Detroit, like many inner cities is plagued with lack of access to literacy. In Gary B. v. Whitmer (formerly Gary B. v. Synder), seven children and their families sued the state of Michigan for denying them the right to read. These families were not suing for monetary gain, but rather to bring attention to the “unsafe, overcrowded and deficient environments” that hinder learning. In the words of civil rights attorney, Mark Rosenbaum, “Education is the foundation for meaningful political participation. You can’t run for political office. You can’t vote…unless you have a basic education. We don’t have a democracy, we don’t have anything until all the children are afforded the opportunity to read, which means they have the opportunity to learn, which means they have the opportunity to have a say so in what their democracy is all about.”

Source: https://diverseeducation.com/article/160482/

~Sheila~

Literacy and Upward Mobility

Photo Credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/qaMYg7pGUAgVcw569

It cannot be stressed enough as to how critically important for an individual and groups to have the to ability to read, write and comprehend at a basic level. While the barriers to literacy are due to different causes, there is generally inter-relation that creates a series of often insurmountable barriers in the long haul not just for individuals but entire nations.   Since literacy is an essential tool for individuals and states to be competitive in the global knowledge economy, many positions remain vacant for lack of personnel adequately trained to hold them. However, this can be turned around when individuals, community organizations, business and government work together to defeat low literacy and its impact.

Source: https://www.literacypittsburgh.org/the-challenge/
~Sheila~