Functional Illiteracy

Functional illiteracy , in the article, is described as the inability of an individual to use reading, writing and computational skills in everyday life. The articles centers its statistics on adults who are functionally illiterate in the United States, but this in one big issue to the rest of the world, too. Today, we live in a society that is knowledge-driven. Almost everything necessary to convey information are in the form of text, figures and maps. These objects guide us to function properly in the society, tightly integrating us into one. Members of the society continue their day-to-day activities like reading traffic signs, signing our names, understanding bus schedules, etc. These abilities to read, write and compute form a social structure - a stable pattern of social behaviour which allows for literacy . Literacy, in turn, functions as a major tool for each individuals survival and the societys stability. However, through the functionalist approach, not all social structures result to functioning. Some dysfunctions occur in the society,too. This is how functional illiteracy occurs in societies. Through this, the disability to read, write and possess computation skills defines and separates the society into two literate and illiterate, reinforcing social functioning stronger, too. By understanding this in a functionalist perspective, we learn to accept that functional illiteracy is not due to separate individuals, but is a consequence of social system.